Tell No Lies
by Voltora
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 5th year but when Sirius falls for the beautiful new DADA professor, his relationship with his godson comes under threat. SB/OC (And a little RW/HG sparkage! Will they ever get together?) Plz R/R *COMPLETE*
1. Owl Post

**Tell No Lies**

**_By Voltora_**

**_Authors Notes_**

Originally posted on fanfiction.net over 2001 and 2002, I have decided to re-post the entire fic after discovering numerous grammar and spelling mistakes.  Hopefully the majority of these mistakes have now been corrected.  Plot holes have also been filled in and loose ends tied up resulting in a greatly improved fic.

I'd like to thank **Morgan D** for writing to me, expressing equal parts praise and criticism for my original efforts.  No one can improve without fair criticism.  Thank you.

And this fic would be still be a grammar disaster area without my Beta, **Lilupin**.  You have a fantastic amount of patience to help me with my mistakes, though I have surely sent you round the bend with my appalling use of apostrophises.  Many apologies my friend!  I'll get the hang of them … eventually.  

My heartfelt thanks to you both.

_ ~ Dedicated to the memory of **Shirley Bowman**, mentor and friend who left us on 5th January 03.  You always asked I was getting on with this; your support meant so much to me, more than you'll know.  We'll all miss you dearly ~_

**Please note that this is a completed fic.  All chapters are ready for posting and will be posted twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, barring unforeseen circumstances.**

**_Disclaimer_**

_Harry Potter belongs to Joanne Kathleen Rowling. I am making no money from this. This work is simply a product of an insanely obsessed fan who likes to write in her spare time. _

_Any characters and places that you, as the reader, do not recognise from the books, are products of my own creation unless otherwise stated. Please ask if you wish to use them in your own fics._

_Any similarity between this fic and any other that was posted before July 2002, is simply coincidental and non-intentional._

**_Summary_**

When Sirius falls for the new DADA professor, his relationship with his godson comes under threat. Meanwhile the Dark Forces seem to have disappeared and the Magical Community remains ignorant of the Dark Lord's return.

**_Timeline:_** Following on from Goblet of Fire.

**Chapter One: Owl Post**

Most teenagers love the summer holidays. Several, seemingly endless weeks to do anything and everything they can do to have fun, without the worry of school lurking at the end of every week.

But Harry Potter wasn't like most teenagers. He hated the way the summer dragged on and on; mainly because it meant returning to the Dursleys in Privet Drive. The Dursleys weren't any happier than Harry to see him back. As far as they were concerned, having a young wizard in the family was a matter of deepest shame; a secret that had to be concealed at all costs.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia went to great lengths to hide their nephew's 'abnormality' by giving him housework and gardening to do to keep him occupied. But if company came round Harry was instantly confined to his small bedroom, which was fine with him. Any time spent away from his Medieval-Attitude Muggle relatives was bliss. 

Over the past few years, the Dursleys had been enlightened to the fact that Harry, as an under-age wizard, could not perform magic outside of school. This information had brought them tremendous relief. 

Not that this had stopped him from doing some by accident.

Harry had only returned to Privet Drive a week ago and already he was in trouble.

Uncle Vernon had organised a large garden party for some rather important business people. Uncle Vernon was hoping to get his company, Grunnings, associated with some larger companies. Aunt Petunia had bought an expensive new dress and had managed to persuade Dudley into wearing what had to be a _very_ uncomfortable suit.

'Oh, doesn't Dudley look _handsome?_' Aunt Petunia had sighed lovingly once Dudley had squeezed his massive form into the hideous clothes.

Dudley scowled darkly.

His sleeves didn't quite reach his hands; the jacket couldn't stretch far enough around his bulging stomach to be buttoned up, and the trousers were threatening to split apart.

Clearly the diet that Dudley had been on last year either hadn't worked, or Dudley had not been following it at all. The latter was the most obvious conclusion but Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were adamant that the 'good-for-nothing' diet had done nothing more than depress their perfect little angel, who should thus be fawned over more than ever to make up for it.

So Dudley had proceeded to gorge himself whenever he wasn't asleep. He was now so wide that he kept banging into doorframes, no matter how he tried to manoeuvre his waistline through them.

Harry was ordered to stay in his bedroom all day, which didn't bother him at all. He'd put up with this sort of treatment for years and the Dursleys' attitude towards him was unlikely to ever change in the slightest.

Harry was sat at his desk, working on his Potions essay. Professor Snape had assigned an eight-foot long essay on naturally occurring poisons and their antidotes. He was skimming the pages of Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, when a loud high-pitched scream shattered the silence.

Dropping his eagle feather quill and blotting his parchment, Harry leapt up, hurried to the window and looked down into the garden.

Aunt Petunia was shrieking at the top of her lungs as two owls swooped low over her head, hooting loudly. Uncle Vernon was flapping his arms like a headless chicken, trying to shoo the birds away. Dudley had obviously been taken by surprise with the birds sudden appearance because he was lying on his back, having fallen backwards off his chair, and was waving his arms and legs around in a feeble attempt to get up, crying for help. The six smartly dressed guests, whom Harry assumed were the 'important business people' his uncle had mentioned, were all backing away rather quickly from the scene of madness. Many of them stared in disbelief and horror as the owls dived down on the Dursleys again and again, screeching loudly.

One of the owls was a large, beautiful snowy female; Hedwig. She was Harry's own post-owl and clearly agitated that she couldn't get into the house to deliver Harry's post, due to the fact that his bedroom window was locked. 

The other owl was small, dark and zooming round and round in tight circles, screeching continuously. This owl went by the name of Pig and belonged to Ron Weasley.

Deciding that he'd better do something quick, Harry grabbed a wire coat hanger, bent it out of shape and began to pick the lock on the window. Uncle Vernon must have locked it once Hedwig had left a few days ago, Harry thought angrily. 

Chancing a glance at the mayhem below, Harry's heart leapt up into his throat.

Uncle Vernon had made a wild snatch and grabbed Hedwig out of the air. She shrieked in fear as Uncle Vernon held her tight, almost choking her!

Harry felt a hot wave of anger surge through him, and almost immediately, Uncle Vernon gave a startled yell, releasing Hedwig who quickly flew high into the air. The reason he had let the owl go was that the table bearing all of Aunt Petunia's beautifully prepared food had just shot several feet up into the air, spinning madly. At once, Uncle Vernon's sharp eyes snapped up to Harry's window, his great ruddy face turning a nasty shade of purple. 

Harry gulped.

Bowls of salad, mini trifles, ice cream, baked potatoes and bread rolls flew off the table and hurled themselves at the terrified guests as they raced into the house. Aunt Petunia screamed louder than ever - until a large slice of melon shot into her mouth, muffling the noise. Dudley, still stuck on his back like a turtle, torn between fright and his compulsive desire to eat, opened his mouth as wide as possible in the hopes of catching some of the flying food while it pelted him mercilessly.

Harry stared as Uncle Vernon, plastered with food from head to toe, ran to Aunt Petunia, pulled her over to Dudley, heaved their massive son back onto his feet, and then ran for the safety and shelter of the house. Once they had disappeared from sight, the floating food and table fell to earth with a loud crash. 

Hedwig and Pig had settled themselves in next doors apple tree when the food fight had begun and where now peering cautiously through the leaves at Harry's window. Harry gave the wire a last twist, heard the lock click and shoved the window wide open.

Hedwig spread her wings and glided through the window, followed by Pig a few seconds later. They dropped two parchment envelopes onto Harry's bed. Pig fluttered across the room to Hedwig's cage and helped himself to some water from her tray. Hedwig settled herself on Harry's shoulder, rubbing against him lovingly.

'Are you all right, Hedwig?' Harry asked, stroking her soft plumage. 'Did my uncle hurt you?'

Hedwig hooted softly in response.

Next moment, the bedroom door was flung open so violently it bounced off the wall with an alarming bang. Uncle Vernon was breathing heavily like a winded rhino; his hands were clenching and unclenching in a dangerous, unsteady rhythm and his bloodshot eyes were bulging out of his puce coloured face. His mouth opened and closed several times, forming silent threats. 

Harry stood there quite calmly, completely nonplussed.

Uncle Vernon stormed across the room towards him. Hedwig instantly flared her wings and let out a threatening hiss, as though daring him to come closer. Drawing up short, Uncle Vernon cast a wary eye over the large owl. Glaring murderous at his nephew, he finally found his voice.

'WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?' He roared, spraying Harry with spit. 'IF YOU OR THAT RUDDY OWL PUT EVEN ONE MORE TOE OUT OF LINE, I'LL -'

He continued to yell for nearly half an hour, threatening Harry with numerous punishments ranging from locking him up in the cupboard under the stairs for the rest of the summer, down to plucking out all of Hedwig's feathers one by one. But Harry knew very well that his uncle wouldn't follow through with any of these punishments because Harry had some very useful contacts that could turn up at any time and transform the Dursleys into warty toads if they suspected that Harry was being mistreated. And Uncle Vernon knew this very well.

Once he had shouted himself hoarse, Uncle Vernon marched back out of the room and slammed the door shut so hard that the windows rattled. 

'I wonder if he can still do business with those people?' Harry said aloud. Hedwig gave a sharp hoot and shook her head firmly. Harry grinned. 'I didn't think so.'

Harry reached for one of his letters, glad that Uncle Vernon hadn't seen them and confiscated them. This had Ron's untidy scribble on it. Harry slit it open and pulled out the parchment.

_Harry,_

_I know Dumbledore wanted you to go back to the Muggles for a while but one week with those gits is one week too long! You should come and stay with us for the summer. I've asked mum and dad already and they really want you to come._

_I've asked Hermione but she's going to Bulgaria for a fortnight. You know, with Vicky!___

Harry knew. Viktor Krum was an international Quidditch player and played Seeker for Bulgaria's National team. He had come to Hogwarts last year as part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and had fallen for Hermione, Harry's other best friend. Krum had invited her to come and visit him over the summer before he had to return to Bulgaria. Clearly she had taken him up on the offer.

_Let me know when you can come and we'll figure out a way to get you here!_

_See you soon I hope!_

_Don't let the Muggles get you down!_

_Ron.___

Harry's spirits lifted considerably. He would give anything to stay with the Weasley's for the whole summer. The Dursleys would probably be glad to get rid of him.

Turning to the other envelope, he knew instantly that it was from Hermione. No one else he knew had such neat handwriting.

_Dear Harry,_

_I do hope you're okay. You seemed rather down when I last saw you. Ron's invited me to stay but I'm in Bulgaria right now. The local history of the magical community is simply fascinating! But I have left all my homework, well, at home. Mum and Dad insisted that my trip should be a holiday, which means no schoolwork of any kind!_

Harry laughed. Poor Hermione. Harry could just imagine her suffering from homework-withdrawal.

_But I am having a lovely time with Viktor. I'll tell you all about it when I return. I hope my parents will allow me to stay with Ron when I get back. Hope to see you there!_

_Have a good holiday!_

_Love from Hermione._

_P.S Have you heard from Sirius?_

Harry sank onto the bed, no longer smiling.

Sirius Black was Harry's godfather. He was also an escaped convicted murder on the run unable to prove that he was innocent. He had used his Animagus ability to escape from Azkaban, to track down Peter Pettigrew who had framed him. But Pettigrew had managed to escape justice yet again, forcing Sirius to go on the run. Only Professor Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Remus Lupin, their former Defence against the Darks Arts professor and Sirius' old school friend, knew or believed in his innocence.

Since then, Harry and Sirius had kept in touch by owl-post, but over the past few weeks, Harry hadn't heard anything from his godfather at all. They had been together briefly at the end of the last school year but Sirius had to leave almost straight away due to Lord Voldemort's return. Professor Dumbledore had begun to take immediate action; he had asked Sirius to contact 'the old crowd', whoever they were. He'd left that very night and hadn't been in contact since.

Hedwig, sensing that Harry was feeling pretty down, hooted softly and settled down on his lap. Harry gentle stroked her, wondering. Harry had tried writing to Sirius but none of his letters had made it to him. Hedwig had brought each one back, seemingly ashamed of herself that she hadn't been able to locate him. Harry held Hedwig close, gazing blankly at the wall. 

What was going on?

Where was Sirius?

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review._**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

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	2. Breakfast at Mrs Figg's

**Chapter Two; Breakfast at Mrs Figg's**

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The following morning Harry woke up early. He dressed quickly and left the house before any of the Dursleys were likely to wake up. After yesterday's 'accident' Harry thought it would be best to stay out of their way for as long as possible.

Wandering aimlessly down the street, Harry cast his mind back to that night when Voldemort had returned. Sirius had revealed himself in front of Snape and Mrs Weasley. Harry wondered if Ron had explained the situation to his mum by now, about Sirius being innocent and everything.

Dumbledore had had instructions for both Sirius and Snape, but what he had asked Snape to do was completely unknown to Harry. Snape had seemed almost scared when Dumbledore said that he knew what he was going to ask of him. But Snape appeared determined all the same.

Harry hadn't really given much thought as to what Snape might be up to or exactly why Dumbledore even trusted an ex-Death Eater. Harry was much more concerned about his godfather.

Where was he now? Was he okay? He hadn't been caught, had he? Of course not! Harry shook his head disbelievingly. Sirius was much too smart to get caught. He was an Animagus after all. But the unsettled feeling continued to pester Harry. He dearly wished he could get hold of a Daily Prophet, just to be sure. If Sirius had been caught, the Daily Prophet would know about it. 

'Harry!'

Harry looked up from the pavement, jerking out of his thoughts. Mrs Figg, an elderly lady who lived a few streets away from the Dursleys', was waving merrily at him from her front garden.

'Good morning, Mrs Figg.' Harry waved back politely.

Mrs Figg smiled and beckoned him over. Harry crossed the road and walked up the garden path, stepping carefully over one of Mrs Figg's many cats.

'Well, young Potter, what are you doing out and about so early?' she asked as she bent over to pick up her milk bottles.

'Oh, I was just walking around.' Harry replied evasively.

He wasn't exactly fond of his neighbour. Until he had started at Hogwarts, he had often been shunted into Mrs Figg's care whenever the Dursleys went out somewhere. She wasn't a bad person, but she owned numerous cats and always made Harry sit in her cabbage-smelling living room and look at photo albums of all the cats she had ever owned.

'Why don't you come inside?' She smiled kindly at him. 'I'm just about to have breakfast. I'd appreciate the company.'

Harry accepted her offer. He didn't particularly fancy going back to the Dursleys any time soon.

Mrs Figg led Harry through to her kitchen. Harry found a seat that wasn't occupied by a cat and sat down.

'Would you like a cup of tea, Harry dear?'

'Yes please.'

Harry watched as a fat black and white cat jumped up onto the side and promptly snatched up a flowery tea cosy in its mouth.

'Why, thank you, Tibbles!' Mrs Figg took the tea cosy from the cat's mouth and slipped it over the teapot. She turned to Harry. 'He's normally such a nuisance in the kitchen, getting under my feet and tripping me up, you know.'

Harry nodded. He always though Mrs Figg was a little off in the head and especially weird about her beloved feline companions.

Harry suddenly became aware of a noise upstairs. Soft, haunting music was playing just overhead. Mrs Figg stopped to listen.

'Beautiful.' she murmured, closing her eyes.

Harry cocked his head to one side, listening intently. He had rarely heard anyone play music like that. Whoever it was, was certainly quite talented.

'Who is that?' he asked curiously.

'My lodger, dear.' Mrs Figg turned back to the teapot. 'He plays every morning before breakfast. Very talented young man, I must say!'

She brought over a plate of toast for Harry and sat down. She jumped up again extremely quickly, having just sat on another of her cats.

'Wellington! What were you doing there? Go on now, shoo!'

A disgruntled looking silver tabby leapt off the chair and streaked out of the kitchen. Mrs Figg settled back down again.

'Now then Harry, how's school?' she asked.

'It's fine.' he said, munching on a slightly burnt piece of toast.

'Been enjoying yourself there, have you?'

Harry looked at her, puzzled.

The Dursleys had told anyone who asked that Harry attended St Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. It did seem rather far-fetched that even Mrs Figg would think that anyone could have fun in a place with a name like _that._

'Um, yes,' he said after a moment. 'It's been all right.'

'That's good to hear.' Mrs Figg stood up to pour the tea. 'I really enjoyed my time at school, you know. Had lots of friends, did well in my lessons and I was made a Prefect as well!' She sighed. 'But I was never any good at sports. Just didn't have the balance. Wasn't too fond of heights either come to that!'

Harry slowly looked up from his toast. What sport was she talking about? She couldn't possibly be talking about -

At that moment someone entered the kitchen.

'Good morning, Bella.' he said.

Harry froze in shock, dropping his toast. 

The young man in the doorway was tall and thin with light brown hair, flecked with grey. His pale face split into a kind smile as he spotted Harry. Even in Muggle clothing, he was impossible not to recognise.

'Harry! How nice to see you again!'

It was Remus Lupin.

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review._**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

**_*_**

**Mi – **Yay!  My first reviewer!  Thanks for that, and yes I will be posting more, very regularly I might add.  Twice a week as long as the site doesn't go down for whatever reason.

**Christy – **Don't worry, Sirius is not ignoring Harry for no good reason.  There is a very good reason actually but I am glad that you aren't going to read the first edition, for one it'll spoil this one, and two, quite frankly, it's a mess!  There's a reason why I'm re-posting this.  ;)

**MorganD -  **Glad you approve Morgan!  *hugs back*  You're the reason why this underwent a major reconstruction of plot.  All plot holes have now been filled in (I hope!)  See you around!

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	3. Three's Company

**Chapter Three; Three's Company**

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'Professor Lupin!'

Remus laughed.

'You're more than welcome to call me Remus, Harry,' he chuckled. 'I'm no longer your teacher, remember?'

Harry sat almost numb in his chair. This had to be a dream. He whipped off his glasses, rubbed his eyes hard, shoved his glasses back on and looked again. Remus was still there.

'Surprised to see me?' he asked.

'Very!' Harry had found his voice again. 'What are you doing here? How long have you been here? Where have you been?' 

Remus smiled.

'Nice to know I've been missed.' He turned to Mrs Figg. 'Bella, do you need a hand?'

'Not at all, Remus. You sit down - I won't be long. Oh, I keep forgetting, do you take sugar with your tea?'

'Yes, two lumps please.'

'Right you are.'

Remus picked a sleek Siamese cat off a chair, sat down and placed the cat on his lap. It purred loudly as he tickled it behind the ears.

Harry gaped at him.

Remus had been Harry's favourite Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and he'd been quite upset when the man had resigned at the end of Harry's third year. He was also a werewolf. 

Harry had a sudden flashback to the night Voldemort returned. Dumbledore was speaking to Sirius.

_'I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd - Lie low at Lupins' for a while, I will contact you there.'_

Arabella Figg.

_Mrs Figg?_

Harry's eyes darted from Remus to Mrs Figg and back again. Several times. Remus noticed and smiled.

'Hasn't she told you?' 

'Haven't told him what?' Mrs Figg glanced over her shoulder at Remus.

'That you're a witch, of course.' he said matter-of-factly, watching Harry's jaw drop.

'I was getting around to it young man, just as you interrupted.' she said sternly.

'Why didn't you ever say before now?' Harry was staring at his neighbour in astonishment. Elderly Mrs Figg, his batty old neighbour with an unhealthy obsession for felines, was a _witch?_

'Well, I doubted you would have believed me.' She sat down heavily with a cup of tea, handing one to Remus. 'Besides, I haven't seen you since you started at Hogwarts and I did promise Albus that I wouldn't reveal myself unless an emergency cropped up.' She took a sip of her tea. 'But I'm sure he'll agree that the Dark Lord getting back on his feet qualifies as an emergency, wouldn't you say, Harry?'

*

Harry spent the whole morning with Remus and Bella. She insisted that Arabella sounded much too fancy. She explained that Professor Dumbledore had needed someone stationed close to where Harry was staying while he was growing up, mainly to ensure his protection and to prevent Voldemort's supporters from finding him.

'The number of wards and barriers over this neighbourhood, you would not believe!' Bella looked rather proud. ' Not a single witch or wizard can enter without my knowing about it.'

'So how did Remus get in?'

'I was invited.' he said. 

'No invitation, no entry.' said Bella firmly. 'So long as the wizard means you no harm they can cross the boundaries safely. However, if they are genuinely lost, the wards simply propel them out without harming them - they never even notice that there's a barrier there. Don't want to have any accidents, do we?'

Harry awkwardly brought the subject round to his godfather, worrying as he did so, whether or not Bella actually knew about him. Luckily, Bella caught onto what his nervous babbling meant and quickly assured Harry that she had complete faith in Sirius and had been very much relieved to learn of his innocence from Dumbledore.

'You don't have to worry about him, Harry.' Remus assured him. 'Sirius is more than capable of taking care of himself. He turned up at my home with that Hippogriff of his about a month ago.' He gave Harry a sly smile, knowing full well where the Hippogriff had come from. 'He told me what had happened and Dumbledore contacted us a little while later and we set off at once.'

'To do what?'

Well, our first and most important task is to contact as many people as possible, such as Bella, who fought against the Dark Lord during his initial rise to power.'

'But what about Sirius?'

'We had to separate a while ago. I'm not certain where he is right this minute but he is in regular contact with Dumbledore who assures me that Padfoot is doing well.'

Harry felt much better and immensely relieved. Sirius was fine, he hadn't been caught, but -

'I tried to write to him but Hedwig kept bringing my letters back. Do you have any idea why?'

Remus looked thoughtful.

'That's probably a result of the Disorientation Charm he's using. It creates a bubble-like field around someone that disorientates anybody who deliberately goes near it. We've both been using them in case someone followed us. That's why Hedwig can't find him, the field has been confusing her.'

'So I can't write to him then.' Harry slumped in his chair.

'There's no need for the long face, Harry.' Remus said, gently. 'He'll write to you as soon as he can. You'll just have to be patient.'

'So, how long have you been here anyway?'

'I only arrived the other day. The full moon is coming and I need access to a Wolfsbane Potion. Bella is very skilled with potions and she offered me a place to stay for a while.'

'What? You're not staying long?' Harry couldn't hide his disappointment.

'Once the full moon has passed I'll need to track down Sirius again. We still have a lot of work to do. But until then I'm staying right here.'

'That's great,' said Harry. 'I'm not sure if I could stand being with the Dursleys much longer without anyone to talk to.'

'Considering what you did yesterday, I'm not surprised!' Bella chuckled.

'That was an accident!' Harry insisted. 'And how did you know about that?'

'I have eyes and ears everywhere, Harry.' Bella indicated the cats milling around the kitchen and the Siamese curled up in Remus' lap, purring softly.

'Is that why you have so many cats?'

'It's not the only reason.' she said with a mysterious smile.

'Harry, I think you should be getting back to your uncle's house.' said Remus. 'You've been here all morning. They'll be wondering where you are.'

Harry doubted that the Dursley's had spared him a split second thought, but he agreed that it was time to go. Just as he reached the front door Bella called after him.

'You're welcome here any time, Harry. Just pop round whenever!'

'Thanks Bella!' Harry called back. 'I'll remember that!'

Harry walked slowly back to Privet Drive, thinking. He was feeling much better now that he knew that Sirius was all right and that he had a friendly witch and wizard staying a few streets away. Then he remembered Ron's invitation to stay at the Burrow for the summer. Hard as it was to resist asking the Weasley's to come and rescue him from the Dursleys' clutches, he really wanted to hang around with Bella and Remus for a while. At least until Remus had to leave.

Sneaking back into number four wasn't difficult. Uncle Vernon had left for work and Aunt Petunia was busy in the kitchen, ironing with the radio on. Dudley was in the living room, spreading his bulk out on the sofa, his piggy eyes glued to the television as he shovelled great spoonfuls of mint chocolate ice cream straight out of the tub and into his mouth. 

Easing his bedroom door shut, Harry looked over to Hedwig and Pig. Both owls were fast asleep with their heads under their wings. Carefully, so as not to wake them, Harry rummaged through his trunk for some fresh parchment and a bottle of ink. Finding some, Harry sat down at his desk and grabbed his quill.

_Ron, _

_Thanks for the invite but I can't leave just yet. You are not going to believe who showed up at my neighbour's house! Professor Lupin! Turns out the old lady with the cats that the Dursley's got to babysit when I was little is a witch! Nice of her to let me know. Anyway, Remus (That's Professor Lupin) is staying with her for a while because the full moon's coming. As far as I know Sirius is all right, hopefully he'll write me soon._

_I'll let you know when I can come and stay._

_Have a great holiday!_

_Harry___

Harry scribbled a similar letter to Hermione, and then roused the sleepy owls. Pig wouldn't sit still for Harry to tie Ron's letter to his leg. It took Hedwig flaring her wings and hissing at him before Pig would sit properly.

Harry opened up the window to let them out. As they flapped out of sight, Harry couldn't help thinking that this year, he was actually going to enjoy his summer holiday.

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*****

**Christy – **Hi there!  Thanks for coming back!  Um, I guess that was a ff.net error, but it seems okay now.****

**Lil Lupin – **Glad you think so, Lily, but, you know, if you are worried about the side-effects of talking to me I could arrange for an appointment at St. Mungo's – the mental ward doctors are wonderful!  I'm in and out of there all the time! *manic laugh*****

**MorganD - ***Blinks and looks again*  Oh, opps!  Hey, no apologies necessary, Morgan, you're right that should read 'He had always thought'.  My mistake.  Blimey, English is my first language and I still can't get it right! LOL****


	4. Back to the Burrow

**Chapter Four; Back to the Burrow**

Over the course of the next few days Harry went to visit Bella and Remus whenever he could escape the hawk-laser stares of his aunt and uncle. The full moon passed and Remus was looking dreadfully ill but he assured Harry that he would be fine by the end of the week. He also offered to escort Harry to the Weasley's if he wouldn't mind. Harry accepted the offer almost before Remus had finished his sentence.

The Dursleys had relented and given Harry permission to go. It hadn't taken much persuasion because it meant they could get rid of him several weeks earlier than they had hoped. Not to mention that the garden party incident was still fresh in their minds.

Ron sent Pig back with another letter a few days before Remus had planned to leave.

_Hey Harry!_

_Can't wait for you to get here! We're got a visitor who I think you'll want to see. I won't say anymore on that, I might let something slip!_

_You should be able to get here by the Floo system. You do remember how to use it, right? Try and get here before eleven o'clock, Mum's planning on cooking a huge lunch so it's best if you get here before she takes control of the kitchen fire!_

_Professor Lupin is welcome to come if he wants._

_See you soon!_

_Ron___

Harry felt more impatient than ever after that. Who was this mystery visitor?

Harry had already packed his Hogwarts trunk with all his robes, books and everything else he owned. One of his most cherished possessions was his top-of-the-range racing broom; the Firebolt. Sirius had sent it to him anonymously for a Christmas present in his third year.

Another perk of going to the Weasley's was that Harry would be able to play Quidditch. He played Seeker on the Gryffindor house team and really needed to practise, as the inter-house tournament had been called off last year.

When Sunday finally arrived, Harry dragged his trunk and Hedwig's cage over to Bella's home to find Remus ready to leave, dressed in a worn travelling cloak.

'Ah, Harry,' he said as Harry pulled his trunk into the living room. 'Are you ready? Do you have everything?'

'Yes. I didn't think Hedwig would like travelling by Floo, so she's gone on ahead.'

Bella came into the room holding an odd little ceramic pot and with a dozen cats trailing behind her.

'Well, here you are, you two.' She handed the pot to Remus. 'It's been a real pleasure having you both around.'

'It's a shame we can't stay longer, but it's best if we go as soon as we can; the Weasleys are expecting us.'

Remus pulled his wand out of his battered travelling case and conjured a fire in the grate. Taking a pinch of Floo powder he turned to Harry.

'Ready?'

Harry nodded and grabbed hold of his trunk and Hedwig's cage. Remus threw the powder into the flames. The fire turned emerald green and rose higher.

'Goodbye you two!' Bella waved cheerfully as Remus picked up his case, laid a hand on Harry's shoulder and shouted 'The Burrow!'

The fire roared and whipped them from Bella's front room and into the Floo network. As the flames whirled around them, Harry shut his eyes tight to keep out the soot and held his elbows close to his side as he spun very fast.

Moments later, they were slowing down. Harry opened his eyes slightly, catching glimpses of fireplaces flashing past. Suddenly Harry had fallen forward into the Weasley's kitchen in a cloud of soot. Remus landed with a thud next to Harry on the hearth, groaning softly.

'Are you okay, Remus?' Harry asked, thinking he may have hurt himself.

'Yes, I'm fine, Harry.' He winced as he got up off the floor. 'I'm just not fond of taking the Floo, it makes me feel rather queasy.'

Next moment, almost the entire Weasley clan burst into the kitchen, and within minutes Harry and Remus were enjoying a large lunch of Mrs Weasley's excellent cooking with the rest of the family. 

Mrs Weasley insisted that both of them were 'pitifully thin' and needed 'fattening up'. Harry found it rather difficult to empty his plate with Mrs Weasley refilling his plate every five minutes while Ron and the twin's engaged him in the all-consuming Quidditch talk.

'Angelina's left now, so we're another player short.' George said between mouthfuls of ham and salad.

'We need a need a new captain, too,' said Fred. 'Who do you reckon it's going to be, Harry?'

'Probably Katie or Alicia,' said Harry truthfully. 'Somehow I can't see either of you two as captain; we'd never get any serious training done!'

'I can't see ourselves as captain either!' George laughed. 'But what about you, Harry?'

Harry looked up from his lunch in surprise.

'What, me? As captain?'

'Sure. Why not?' said Fred.

'You'd make a great captain, Harry!' said Ron, grinning broadly.

'Hang on, doesn't Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch decide on the captain?'

'They do have something to say about it, yes, but seriously Harry, out of the five of us left, who else could possibly take on the responsibility?'

'I don't believe that word is part of your vocabulary, George,' said Percy haughtily from his end of the table.

The twins exchanged a look. Then they just sat there, grinning slyly at Percy. Percy's face immediately became clouded with suspicion.

'What?'

The twins continued to grin, eyes narrowing wickedly. Percy quickly looked down at his food.

'All right, what have you done to it?' he demanded, cautiously poking his salad with his fork.

The twins sniggered.

Percy shot them a look of pure venom before self-consciously checking himself over for any appearance altering hexes.

Harry looked down the far end of the table to where Remus and Mr Weasley were talking. Remus was shaking his head sadly as Mr Weasley whispered something to him, a sombre expression on his face.

Harry, although he knew he shouldn't eavesdrop, caught a few snatches of their conversation over Percy's demands to know what had been slipped into his goblet.

'Arthur, you can't … it's not safe …'

'… nothing we can do …'

'… but why … not shown … there's been nothing since … about Harry …'

Harry instantly focused more on their conversation as Remus mentioned his name.

'… just have to wait … be safest at Hogwarts …'

'It's making people nervous … nothing at all … no idea what's going on -'

'Harry? Earth to Harry! Come in, Harry!'

'What?' Harry jerked round to see Ron watching him expectantly.

'You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you?'

'No, sorry. What did you say?'

Ron drew himself up proudly.

'I've decided to try out for the Quidditch team this year, as the new Keeper!'

'Really? That's great!'

Ron beamed with pleasure.

'How about that then?' said George. 'Three Weasley's on the team!'

'We'll be unstoppable!' Fred grinned.

Percy threw down his napkin in exasperation, having spent the last two minutes inspecting it carefully. He glared at Fred and George, then turning to Mrs Weasley.

'Mother, Fred and George are up to something.'

'No we're not!' Fred protested innocently as their mother's eyes narrowed. 'We haven't done anything.'

'Percy's just being paranoid.' George said, failing to hide a cheeky grin as Percy quickly stood up to check his seat. 'It can't be healthy to be that suspicious.' he whispered to Ron and Harry. 

Harry laughed with the rest of them but made a mental note to speak with Remus about the Voldemort situation. 

After all, what else could they have been talking about?

*

Later that evening, Hedwig turned up while Ron and Harry were attempting to construct a house of cards. They were using cards from an Exploding Snap pack, which was making it much more fun.

Hedwig had just settled down next to a snoozing Pigwidgeon when Harry suddenly remembered about Ron's last letter to him.

'Ron?'

'Hmm?' Ron was carefully trying to stand two cards together.

'You mentioned something about a visitor in your last letter. Who is it?'

Ron gave up on the cards as they slipped off the structure. He gave Harry a sly smile.

'Sorry, but I can't really tell you who it is.'

'What? But you said they were here.'

'Yeah, well, he had to leave early this morning -'

'He?'

'Or she.' Ron amended quickly. 'I'm not saying anything. You'll have to wait until he - or she, gets back.'

'When?' Harry demanded.

'Later.'

'Who is it?'

'Not telling!'

A loud hoot sounded right behind Harry making both boys jump. Hedwig was glaring at the pair of them as she shuffled around on her perch before tucking her head back under her wing.

'Sorry, Hedwig.' Harry gave her a gentle stroke. The owl hooted softly as she went back to sleep.

*

To Harry's increased frustration, he couldn't get Ron to tell him who the mystery person was, nor could he get a chance to speak to Remus, who made a point of leaving the Burrow in the early hours of the morning and returning after dark.

Mrs Weasley had given him the spare room and didn't object to the hours he kept. Harry could only assume that it had something to do with Voldemort, but as no one had mentioned anything about it, Harry couldn't help but think that he was being deliberately kept in the dark.

On the other hand, Ron was eager to train for the Quidditch try-outs so Harry and the twins readily agreed to help and thus spent the next few days in the small paddock the Weasley's owned. Ginny often went with them. She was quite fast on her old Cleansweep Five and certainly kept Ron busy, throwing an old Quaffle all over the place for him to catch.

Fred and George seemed to be attempting to combine Quidditch with Shuntbumps. The result was that they ended up in a tangled heap on the ground more often than staying on their brooms.

Harry soared like a hawk on the wind, astride his Firebolt, speeding through the leafy gaps in the trees.

But while Quidditch was Harry's passion in life and a great distraction, Harry soon found his mind wandering away from the paddock to focus on his godfather, wherever he was.

He still hadn't written back to Harry but at least there still wasn't anything in the Daily Prophet about the Ministry wizards capturing him, which was great news. Sirius may not even be in the country for all Harry knew.

Then a thought occurred. What if _Sirius_ was Ron's mystery visitor! Harry's heart leapt at the possibility. But wait; did Ron's parents know about Sirius? Had anyone told them the truth? That he wasn't a murderer?

Harry paid for his lapse in concentration as Ginny accidentally hit him in the back of the head with the Quaffle, almost knocking him off him broom.

'Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!' Ginny swooped up beside him, looking terribly anxious. 'Are you all right?'

'Yeah, I'm fine.' Harry readjusted his glasses as they were threatening to fall off and smiled reassuringly at Ginny.

She went slightly pink in the face, then said 'What were you thinking about?'

'Huh?'

'If you don't mind my asking,' she added hurriedly. 'You looked … distracted. Thinking deep thoughts?'

'Oh, um …' Harry thought hard for a moment. Did Ginny know by any chance? Was it safe to ask her?

He glanced over at the twins. They were both pelting Ron with mushy apples. They looked pretty well occupied. He turned back to Ginny.

'Ginny, can I ask you something?'

Her face lit up.

'Sure!' 

Harry paused, wondering how best to phrase the question.

'Err … has there been any … um … anyone … dropping by the Burrow recently? Before I got here, I mean.'

Ginny looked puzzled for a second, then smiled.

'Oh, I know what you're talking about.' she said triumphantly.

Harry stared.

'You do?'

She nodded.

'Who is it? Tell me, Ginny, please.'

She shook her head, though with obvious reluctance.

'Sorry. I promised I wouldn't.'

Harry's shoulders slumped and he groaned inwardly.

'Irritating, isn't it?' Ginny giggled. 'When people know something that you don't?'

'Very. Wait, does everyone here know who this person is?'

Ginny glanced over at her brothers, and gave a quick nod.

'Do you have any idea who it is?' she asked.

'I do have one idea who I hope it is, but I somehow doubt that it's him.'

'Well, you'll find out … eventually.'

And she pulled her broom around and sped off back to the others.

*

In the end, Harry gave up on trying to figure it out and started looking forward to when Hermione would be getting back from Bulgaria, when she would be able to come and stay at the Burrow. But what Harry found most odd about the following week was that the Weasleys seemed eager to keep Harry away from the house during the day, Ron and the twins especially.

Everyday they suggested going out on their broomsticks or going down to the village of Ottery St Catchpole. Whenever Harry mentioned going back to the Burrow, one of the twins would 'suddenly remember' something else that Harry hadn't seen and drag him off yet again.

So it wasn't exactly surprising that Harry was beginning to suspect that they were up to something.

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*****

**Lil Lupin – **I believe they charge 10 sickles and 5 knuts for a private consultation! ^_^   Yeah, I guess a couple of mistakes were bound to slip by undetected.  Never mind, I'm sure we caught the worst of them!   And I'm still working on chapter six of the Sirius fic – getting through the mental block on that one quite nicely. :D 

**Christy – **I could not resist including Remus! *silly grin*  How could I not include an absolute favourite?  

**Evil spapple pie – **Hello again!  Nice to have you back for the second round!  Yep, the whole fic has been re-done and improved.  It definitely makes a lot more sense now that the plot has been straightened out.  And thanks for pointing out that mistake, you are correct; that should have been a comma not a full stop.  I'm never entirely sure when to use which punctuation mark when the speech is broken up like that.  Glad you liked the spinning table!  Hee hee, personally I'm really pleased with Aunt Petunia being silenced by a piece of melon!  *giggles*


	5. Reunion

**Chapter Five; Reunion**

Harry awoke one morning late in July and was surprised to find that Ron wasn't oversleeping as usual. His bed was empty and neatly made up. The sunlight streaming through the window caught Harry right in the face. He rolled over, shielding his eyes and looked up at the clock on the wall. Ten o'clock? Harry sat bolt upright. He hadn't meant to sleep for this long! Why hadn't Ron woken him?

Fighting off the lethargy, Harry scrambled out of his camp bed and started pulling on his clothes. Half dressed he suddenly stopped and looked around the room. Something was different.

It took Harry a few seconds to realise that Hedwig and Pig were missing. The cages by the window were empty. Not only that, but the ghoul in the attic was quiet. The whole house was silent. There wasn't a sound to be heard.

Harry stood stock still, listening to the silence. Normally the Burrow was a hive of activity and noise. This eerie silence felt very unnatural. 

It felt wrong.

Harry went straight to his trunk and pulled out his wand. As soon as he had it in his hand he felt somewhat more confident. He crept to the bedroom door, eased it open and peered down the corridor.

Nothing there.

Quickly and as quietly as he could, Harry went across the landing, then tiptoed down the stairs, pausing on each landing to listen carefully.

But the Burrow was as silent as a tomb. No hooting of owls. No bangs or explosions from Fred and George's room. There wasn't even the scratching of a quill from Percy's room.

'Where is everybody?' Harry muttered under his breath.

He continued his progress down through the silent house to the ground floor. Harry was starting to feel more than a little nervous. His heart was thumping rather fast and it seemed to be unnaturally loud in the still air.

Gripping his wand tightly in his fist, Harry sneaked over to the kitchen. Empty.

By now, Harry was getting more than a bit worried. There didn't seem to be anyone in the house but him. Why? The Weasleys wouldn't have gone out without him, would they? It was highly unlikely.

A horrible thought surfaced in his mind. Death Eaters. Panic seized Harry in an icy grip. What if Voldemort had ordered them to attack the Weasleys? 

But that didn't fit though. If the Burrow had been attacked and the Weasleys taken, why had Harry been left behind? There didn't seem to be any evidence of a fight or a struggle. Everything was in its usual place.

'Okay, that pretty much rules that out.' Harry spoke softly to himself to try and relieve the tension he could feel mounting.

_Thump!_

Harry whipped round, wand raised and pointing out into the hallway. There was something in the living room.

Slowly, Harry walked out into the hallway and proceeded to the living room. He stopped at the doorway. The rest of the house was flooded with the morning sunlight, so why was this room so dark?

Cautiously, Harry stepped over the threshold. 

_'SURPRISE!'_

The lights suddenly snapped on and -

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!'

Harry froze in complete shock and blinked hard as his numb brain took in the scene.

A huge multicoloured sparkling banner, with the words _Happy Birthday Harry_ scrolling across it, was hanging in the air among several balloons of various colours and shapes that altered every few seconds. Clouds of gold and silver streamers were snaking through the air above the heads of all nine Weasleys, Remus, Hermione and -

'Sirius!'

Harry bounced into the room and ran straight into the open arms of his godfather.

The two embraced for a minute before Harry stepped back and turned to look at the Weasleys with an insanely happy grin on his face. Mr and Mrs Weasley were positively beaming at him.

'What is all this?' Harry asked disbelievingly, indicating the marvellous decorations.

'Oh, did we get the date wrong?' Bill asked questioningly. '31st of July _is_ your birthday, isn't it?'

'Yeah, but … why …' Harry trailed off, almost too overcome to speak.

'Like we need an explanation?' Ron grinned.

Sirius threw an arm around Harry's shoulders.

'Happy Birthday, Harry!'

*

It was, without a doubt, the happiest day of Harry's life. Never before had he celebrated his birthday, but today he was among friends and family all wishing him many happy returns.

Harry had a permanent smile on his face all day long.

A barn owl swooped in through the window at midday carrying a parcel wrapped in blue-green paper and a letter for Harry from Hagrid.

_Happy Birthday Harry!_

_Sorry I couldn't make it to yah birthday party but I'm a bit busy right now. I'll be back soon hopefully. See yah at Hogwarts in September. Hope you like the pressie!_

_Hagrid_

_PS Olympe says Happy Birthday too._

Harry carefully unwrapped the gift to reveal a beautiful set of Gobstones made of blue marble.

He also received a deck of Exploding Snap cards from Fred and a large box of Dr Filibuster Fireworks from George.

Percy had given him a large jar of specially formulated wand polish that would completely eradicate any greasy finger marks from the wood.

Bill presented Harry with a sacred ibis feather quill from Egypt.

'Very useful, those are, ' he said as Harry examined it. 'They'll write whatever you dictate to them. Cuts back on the number of times you get writers cramp doing homework!'

Ron's present was a copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages._ 'This way you don't have to wait for ages to get it out of the library.' he said.

Hermione also gave Harry a book. _Illusions Made Easy. _'I don't think it's part of the curriculum but I thought you might be interested.' she said nervously as Harry flipped it open to the first chapter; _Casting Shadows._

'It's brilliant!' Harry said in earnest, eagerly skimming the pages. He couldn't wait to try out some of the spells.

Hermione glowed with pleasure.

Ginny shyly handed Harry a small parcel wrapped in silver paper. Inside was an emerald green drawstring bag containing a pink coloured stone about the size of an egg.

'It's a rose quartz.' Ginny explained. 'They have healing powers. I'm not sure how strong it is but if you don't like it -'

'That's really thoughtful of you Ginny. Thank you very much!' Harry smiled at her as she blushed bright scarlet, although she looked very pleased with herself.

Charlie's present was a miniature backpack.

'It's an owl-post bag,' he said, as Hedwig fluttered down from the windowsill to inspect it. 'There's an Expansion Charm on it so you can put several items in there. And it's bewitched so that it only weighs as much as a feather.'

Hedwig stood as still as a statue as Charlie showed Harry how to put the pack on her. Once the pack was secure, Hedwig began strutting up and down the living room table like a model on a catwalk, showing it off proudly.

Mr Weasley had bought a shining silver whistle that hung on a scarlet ribbon trimmed with gold thread.

'I've alerted it so only Hedwig can hear it!' he said excitedly. 'It took a while, but I've trained her to come when she hears it.'

Harry couldn't stop stammering his thanks for all the wonderful gifts. He felt quite embarrassed that he couldn't find the words to express his gratitude. But they all seemed to understand.

The lights dimmed as Mr Weasley flicked his wand. Mrs Weasley then entered the living room carrying an enormous cake in the shape of a Quidditch pitch, complete with moving iced players and balls. Fifteen candles blazed brightly in the semi-darkness as everyone started to sing 'Happy Birthday'. Even Hedwig, Pig, Errol and Hermes joined in, hooting in unison.

Harry could feel himself going red, completely embarrassed by the attention.

Mrs Weasley carefully set the cake down on the table in front of him as the song came to an end, and told Harry to make a wish.

Harry had never been able to perform this Muggle tradition before and so he felt that he ought to wish for something really special for his first ever birthday wish.

He looked up at his godfather who was sat beside him with a mischievous grin on his glowing face. Even his eyes were sparkling in the flickering candlelight, not at all like they were when Sirius had escaped Azkaban. On the run for a crime he did not commit, unable to prove that he was innocent …

Harry looked into the dancing flames and wished.

The candles flared brightly as Harry took a deep breath and blew all of them out in one puff.

*

Later that evening everyone was enjoying second helpings of cake and helping themselves to Butterbeers. Fred and George had set off several Filibuster Fireworks, flooding the room with yellow and purple stars. Pig was bordering on hysterical fits of happiness as he zoomed around the room, racing the fireworks through the air and up to the ceiling. Errol had to be placed in the kitchen away from the noise and lights, which he obviously detested. Hermes and Hedwig were sat on the windowsill together, feasting on chocolate owl-treats and dead voles.

Everyone was enjoying the buffet that Mrs Weasley had prepared and Charlie had coaxed Hermione into dancing with him to the latest song by the Weird Sisters. Bill and Ginny were attempting a warped version of the waltz together. Fred and George kept following Percy around and offering him perfectly ordinary food that he wouldn't dare touch.

Harry was happily slurping a large glass of Butterbeer when Sirius tapped him on the shoulder and beckoned him to follow.

Sirius led Harry outside into the back garden, which was lit softly by glowing fairy lights in the bushes. Sirius stepped out onto the lawn and turned to face his godson.

'So, have you enjoyed yourself today?' he asked.

'Yes, definitely! This is the best day of my whole life!' Then he added, 'Especially because you're here.'

Sirius smiled, then drew Harry into a hug.

'I'm glad you've had a good time. You deserve it after everything you've been through.' he whispered. He released Harry and spoke normally. 'Now I've got to give you my present.'

'You don't have to give me anything.'

Sirius chuckled. 

'Maybe not, but I want to.' He reached into his robes and pulled out a parcel wrapped in gold paper and handed it to Harry.

Slowly, Harry took the beautiful gift in his hands, feeling its smooth flat surface and sharp edges.

'Thank you.' he said, softly.

'Open it.' Sirius urged him. 'You don't know what you're thanking me for.'

Carefully, Harry slowly unwrapped the gift, Sirius watching in silence.

As the paper fell away, Harry looked down on a handsome leather bound book. There was no title. Harry glanced up at Sirius who indicated that he open it.

Harry opened the cover to the first page and his eyes fell upon a large black and white wizard photograph of Sirius, Remus and his father James, each of them smiling and waving up at him. Not one of them looked a day older than sixteen.

'I know you have photos of your parents but I didn't think you had any of them when they were your age.' Sirius pointed at the photo. 'That was taken during our 'Marauder' years, not long after we became Animagi.'

Completely spellbound, Harry turned the page.

The next photo showed James and Lily standing beside the Hogwarts Express on platform nine and three quarters. James had his arm around Lily who was shyly avoiding looking at the camera. In the background, a sixteen-year-old Sirius was hanging precariously out of the train window right behind them, waving furiously and trying to stay in the picture. Lily turned round and shoved him back into the compartment out of sight, and slammed the window shut in his face.

On the opposite page was one of Lily and James in what looked like the Gryffindor common room playing a game of wizard chess. James slumped in his seat as Lily sent her Queen piece forward to checkmate the King.

The next one showed James on his broomstick flying around in the air with two other students, throwing a Quaffle to each other. 

Page after page of photos, each portraying one or another of the Marauders or Lily, either on their own or in a group with other students, all smiling and waving. Harry was not surprised to notice that none contained the image of Wormtail. 

Right at the very end of the album was a group photo of James, Lily, Remus and Sirius in a four-way hug, standing on the front steps leading up to the oak front doors of Hogwarts. They looked very happy but also seemed to trying to mask a feeling of sadness. A neatly written label underneath the photo told Harry that it was their very last day at Hogwarts, at the end of their seventh year.

'Do you like it?'

Harry tore his eyes away from the album.

'Like it? No.' Sirius looked surprised. 'I love it!'

Sirius' face relaxed and he looked very relieved.

'I'm glad. Remus found most of the photos, helped me make it in time.' He glanced over Harry's head towards the house. 'Speak of the devil.'

Harry turned to see Remus emerge from the house.

'There you are, I was looking for you, Harry.' He strode over, rummaging around in his robe pockets. Finally, he drew out a big, yellow parchment envelope.

'It's a joint present from both of us.' he said, handing it to Harry.

Intrigued, Harry opened the envelope and pulled out a large blank square of worn old parchment. Harry stared at it for a moment. Slowly, comprehension dawned.

'Is this …'

'Maybe not new, but it's certainly improved.' Remus smiled.

Harry took his wand out of his pocket, touched it to the parchment and said, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'

At these words, ink lines appeared, spreading out across the parchment, reaching into every corner, forming the infamous Marauders Map.

But as Harry watched, he noticed that there were differences. When he'd last seen the Map there had been seven secret passages leading out of Hogwarts to the nearby village of Hogsmeade. Now though …

'There are five leading out to Hogsmeade and eight passages around the castle.' Remus said, as Harry's eyes darted all over the Map.

'Why weren't they on the Map to begin with?' he asked.

'Well, it was confiscated during our sixth year,' said Sirius. 'We couldn't get the Map back from Filch but that didn't stop us from looking for more passages.'

'Where did you get this?' Harry frowned. He'd leant the Map to Professor Moody, or rather Crouch Jr, earlier that year and hadn't got it back from him.

'When Dumbledore was telling me what had happened, he mentioned Crouch using a map of yours. Obviously he was referring to the Marauders Map so just before I left I swung by the office and snitched it back.' Sirius suddenly looked a more serious. 'But Harry I want you to promise me that you won't go sneaking out of Hogwarts- ' Harry groaned inwardly. 'if Remus or myself aren't there.'

Harry looked at them both in confusion. 

'What do you mean?'

'Listen, this year I want to be as close to Hogwarts as possible. It's my duty to watch out for you, Harry. But since I can't guarantee that Dumbledore won't need me to run off somewhere, I've asked Remus to help me out with this.'

Remus smiled warmly at Harry who was staring at both of them. 'Dumbledore knows that we'll be on hand should anything happen. At least one of us will in the vicinity of Hogsmeade at all times.'

'So, in theory, you'll be relatively safe.' Sirius gripped Harry's shoulder firmly. 'Promise me you'll stay in the castle? Unless it's an absolute emergency?'

'I promise,' said Harry firmly. 'Cross my heart.'

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*****

**Authors Notes**

_Yay!  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is now only five months away!  Doesn't sound so bad when you remember we've been waiting three years already.  Needless to say, I ordered my copy the next day.   ^_^_

**Evil spapple pie – **_Hee hee, I used to watch Madeline when I was little!  Now I'm going to get a mental image of twelve cats following her in two straight lines whenever I read that chapter, LOL._

_Okay, I've been asked twice about this.  Shuntbumps is explained in Quidditch though the Ages as a broomstick game.  It reads; "Shuntbumps was popular in Devon, England.  This was a crude form of jousting, the sole aim being to knock as many other players as possible off their brooms, the last person remaining on their broom winning."_

_I was taking Oliver Wood seriously when he told Harry, "They're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."  ^_^_

**Christy – **_Well, I assume this chapter answered your questions?  ^_^_

**MorganD - **_*Groans and bangs head on keyboard …repeatedly*   Un – be – livable.  I must have read that chapter through dozens of times and I still missed that??  I make the silly mistake of reading what I think I've written instead of what's actually there.  I don't know; I either use too many words or miss them out of sentences completely, so yes that is an error on my part.  On the other hand, I could claim that Fred has developed an awful stutter while empathising the dire need for a new captain – how's that?  Think I'll get away with that?  ^_^_

_I've explained Shuntbumps to Evil spapple pie up there if you haven't read that comment already._

_See you next time!_

_~Voltora~_


	6. September 1st

**Chapter Six; September 1st **

'Has anybody seen my wand?'

'Oi, Fred! That's _my_ broom!'

'Excuse me! Heavy trunk coming through!'

'No! Don't let Pig out!'

'Sorry, Ron!'

'Ginny, is this yours?'

'Where's my hat? I had it a second ago!'

'It's on your head, stupid!'

'Still can't find my wand!'

'Ron, come here, you've got something on your nose.'

'Mum, _geroff!'_

'George, your wand's in the hall where you left it.'

'Cheers, Dad!'

'Mind that trunk!'

'What trunk?'

_Wham!_

'Ouch!'

'That trunk you just kicked, dungbrain.'

'What's that doing there?'

'We're going to be late!'

'Fred, what is that in your trunk?'

'Nothing! Honestly!'

BANG!

'What was _that?'_

'Nothing!'

September the first had finally arrived and no one seemed to be organised in the slightest. Everyone was racing up and down the stairs, bumping into each other, searching for lost robes and wands as they tried to finish packing.

Hermione and Harry had managed to get their trunks sorted out the night before. Ron had insisted that he'd already done his, but at the moment he was attempting to stuff Pig back inside his cage while searching for his broomstick and hat.

The two of them sat outside on their trunks while they waited for the Ministry of Magic cars to arrive. Mr Weasley had asked a friend at the office to lend them to him for the morning.

Hermione was happily describing her holiday in Bulgaria, although most of it was focused on Viktor.

'His family's ever so nice. He's got a little sister, Vanessa, she's only twelve but she has an incredible talent for potions. Viktor's promised to write as often as he can but he does have to train quite a lot. It's just not suitable for him to come back here at the moment -'

Harry listened to her go on and on for about ten minutes before saying that he was going to find Sirius to say goodbye.

It felt odd that while Harry was glad to be going back to Hogwarts, he was also feeling disappointed that this summer couldn't have lasted just a little while longer.

Ron had explained to his parents about Sirius' situation with some help from Dumbledore. Although she'd been very shocked at first, Mrs Weasley quickly became eager to help, especially once she understood that Harry could escape the Dursleys for good if his godfather's innocence could be proven. 

Mr Weasley immediately offered to find out if there was a loophole anywhere in the law that might let Sirius off the hook. So far he'd found nothing, but was now trying to locate the files concerning Sirius' conviction and whether or not all the evidence had been considered. Progress was slow and difficult, what with suspicious members of the Ministry in the Law department wanting to know why the Head of the Muggle Artefacts Office would want to look at murder files from fourteen years ago.

Mrs Weasley had kindly offered Sirius a place to stay once he had rounded up 'the old crowd' and done whatever else Dumbledore had asked of him. Sirius had gratefully accepted the offer and later flew to Bulgaria on Buckbeak to fetch Hermione in time for Harry's surprise party.

The twins had been more than a little surprised to discover that Sirius was in fact Padfoot; one of the authors of the infamous Marauder's Map, which they had been using for several years before passing it on to Harry. They relentlessly hounded Sirius for stories of what pranks he and his friends had got up to when they were at Hogwarts, no doubt looking for inspiration for new jokes.

Percy, on the other hand, had been mortified to come home and find a wanted criminal in the kitchen with his family. It had taken a while to calm him down and stop him from notifying the Ministry. He was still rather antsy around Sirius, preferring to keep his distance and question whether his parents were feeling all right in the head.

Ginny had been extremely shy and nervous, recalling that frightening experience during her second year when she thought Black had almost murdered her brother with a knife, but after a while she grew to like him and was perfectly happy hanging around Sirius and the others. She'd taken a liking to Buckbeak as well and Sirius had offered to take her for a ride at night when there was little chance of being seen. Mr Weasley had been apprehensive about the night-flight but Ginny was delighted and had been for a ride almost every night since.

As the last minute panic and chaos continued, Harry went down the garden to the old shed at the bottom. Mr Weasley had converted it into a makeshift stable for the Hippogriff so that he wouldn't be spotted roaming the garden for worms.

Sirius was inside, giving Buckbeak a thorough grooming of his fur and feathers. The Hippogriff's regal head turned sharply as Harry entered, fixing him with a fierce stare.

'Manners, Harry,' said Sirius warningly, placing a hand on Buckbeak's head-collar.

Harry stayed back, made eye contact with the huge animal, then bowed. Buckbeak watched him, blinking slowly. Bending his scaly knees, the Hippogriff sank into a bow, allowing Harry to approach.

'You ready to go?' Sirius asked, running a comb over the Hippogriff's broad back.

'Yes,' said Harry, stroking Buckbeak's feathered head. 'Are you going to be flying all the way to Hogsmeade?'

Sirius nodded.

'We'll leave tonight when it gets dark. There's no way we'll make the whole journey in one night so Remus and I are going to check in with an old friend of ours then go the rest of the way the following night.' Sirius peered curiously out the door. 'What on earth?'

Harry looked back over his shoulder to see Fred and George struggling to stop something very large and purple from escaping Fred's trunk before their mother saw it.

'I'm starting to think that maybe telling them about those pranks I did at school was a bad idea.' said Sirius.

'Ah, but they were such an attentive audience,' said Harry, grinning. 'I bet they can't wait to try and improve on the original tricks. I don't think they'll try anything too dangerous though.'

'It's not them I'm worried about,' Sirius gave a guilty smile. 'Do you have any idea what Molly will do to me if she thinks I've been encouraging those two?'  He put a hand round his throat for empathise, making fake choking noises.

Harry laughed as Remus entered the shed behind him.

'Harry, the Ministry cars have arrived.' Sirius' smile vanished. He instantly looked alert and wary, moving almost unintentionally back into the shadows. 'You'd better get going or you'll miss the train.'

Harry nodded, suddenly hesitant. Quickly, before he could change his mind, he moved round Buckbeak to his godfather and gave him a hug. The momentary awkwardness slipped away as Sirius returned the gesture, ruffling his godson's hair fondly.

'You will be okay, won't you? I mean … no ones going to see you - flying at night when it's dark -'

Sirius smiled reassuringly. 'I don't intend to get myself caught, Harry. What I _do_ intend to do is stay close enough to Hogwarts to be of help to you whenever you need me.' He grinned impishly. 'You can worry about Moony if you want - he's going to be stuck with me for hours on end! You've got to feel sorry for the guy.'

Remus rolled his eyes, muttering to Harry, 'At least he can't make that Hippogriff do a barrel-roll or loop-the-loop,' He fixed his friend with an accusing glare, 'like he used to do on his motorbike.' 

Sirius' grin simply widened.

'Wanna bet on that?'

Remus closed his eyes wearily. 

'I _knew_ this was a mistake,' he muttered under his breath.

'Harry! Where are you?' Mrs Weasley was marching down the lawn looking for him. Everybody else had finally got themselves organised and in the cars, ready to go.

'Go on, now,' said Sirius, gently steering Harry in the direction of the door. 'I'll see you soon.'

Smiling, Harry nodded, waved goodbye and sprinted away up the lawn to the waiting cars.

*

The Ministry cars slipped through the traffic into London with such ease they arrived at Kings Cross station half an hour early.

Fred and George seemed more hyper than usual as they entered platform nine and three quarters. It was probably because it was their seventh and final year and were obviously going to make the most of their remaining time.

Harry, Ron and Hermione found a compartment for themselves, loaded their trunks and went to say goodbye to Mr and Mrs Weasley.

'Have a good time all of you.' Mrs Weasley said as she gave each of them a hug. 'Watch out for yourselves now.' she added, giving Harry an extra hug.

A loud whistle sounded and all the students still on the platform raced for the train doors. Many were sticking their heads out of the windows saying goodbye to their families.

Harry, Ron and Hermione settled themselves down in their compartment once Mr and Mrs Weasley had left the platform. Fred and George had disappeared, probably looking for their friend Lee Jordan. Ginny had gone off with some of her own friends.

With a sudden lurch, the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station and they were on their way.

Hermione let her ginger bow-legged cat Crookshanks out of his basket and placed him on her lap where he curled up, purring loudly.

'Hard to believe, isn't it?' she said softly.

'What is?' Ron looked puzzled.

'That we're in the fifth year!' Hermione said in earnest. 'We only have three years left, including this one. Don't you think that our time has gone by really quickly?'

Ron considered.

'Yeah, I guess so. I can still remember getting my acceptance letter.'

'I still have mine,' she said brightly. 'I framed it and hung it on my bedroom wall.'

Ron sniggered.

'You're mad! Framing an acceptance letter?'

'What's wrong with that? I'm honestly very proud of receiving it. I want to preserve it as best I can. It'll remind me of everything I've done at Hogwarts after I leave.'

'That's what photos are for.' Ron indicated the photo album Harry had open on his lap. He'd shown it to Ron and Hermione the morning after his birthday. They'd had a good laugh at the antics of the images of Sirius and Remus in their teens.

One photo showed Sirius standing beside a gigantic motorbike, covered in oil and grease, trying to fix the engine. Unfortunately, the bike kept squirting oil in his face when he went near it. Remus and James were also smeared with the muck and grime but laughing about it just the same.

One of Harry's favourites had been taken at a formal dance of some kind. James was dancing with Lily to the slow, unheard music. Remus was with a pretty girl with blonde curls just behind them. Sirius was dancing with a rather stunning brunette.

The brunette showed up in several photos labelled as being from their sixth year. She was always next to Sirius, often with his arm around her waist or holding hands. Clearly she was his girlfriend.

'They make a cute couple, don't they?' Hermione said, gazing at the photo.

'I think they must have broken up though,' said Harry, turning the page. 'She doesn't appear in any of the photos of their seventh year.'

'Doesn't she?' Hermione looked disappointed. 'Oh, that's a shame.'

'You know what?' said Ron, sitting up straighter. 'We should make one. A photo album of us at Hogwarts!'

Harry and Hermione stared at him.

'Ron, that's a wonderful idea!' said Hermione.

'Pity we don't have any photos of our first few years,' said Harry.

'We could ask Colin if he has any,' said Ron, referring to the little fourth year boy who owned a camera with seemingly endless rolls of film. Colin and his brother Dennis practically worshipped the very ground on which Harry walked. 'He'd be more than happy to give us any photos he's got. Probably offer to take loads of us this year if we say we're making an album.'

They eagerly discussed making their album for over an hour before their fellow Gryffindors caught up with them.

Dean and Seamus came charging into their compartment armed with Chocolate Frog cards. Ron and Harry dug out their own collections and began trading off their duplicates. Hermione chose not to indulge but rummaged around in her bag for her new copy of the Standard Book of Spells Grade 5. A week after Harry's birthday, the whole group, plus Remus and Sirius (in canine form) had gone on a shopping trip to Diagon Alley for their new Hogwarts books and equipment. Letters from Hogwarts had provided them with a list of everything they needed. 

Hermione had proudly announced that she had been made a Prefect. This was hardly a surprise but Mrs Weasley had cooked a celebration meal in her honour.

The witch with the lunch trolley came down the train at midday. Harry bought all of his favourites, including a large bag of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans and a packet of Chocolate Frogs to share with the others. Ron happily gorged himself on Cauldron Cakes until Dean shifted abruptly away from him, saying that it would reduce the chances of him being hit if Ron proceeded to vomit. Ron desisted, much to the relief of everyone.

Neville came in a few hours later, searching for his toad, Trevor. Harry cast a nervous glance at Crookshanks. Hermione took the hint and coaxed the cat back into his basket. If Crookshanks found and ate the toad, neither owner would be particularly happy about it. A quick search showed that Trevor wasn't in their compartment however. Dean and Seamus left soon after that to change into their robes. Neville hung around for a while, sharing a pack of Liquorice Wands he had left over from lunch.

Lavender Brown came storming in half an hour later, holding Trevor the toad at arms length in a handkerchief and thrust him at Neville, thoroughly disgusted at having discovered the little creature in her lunch. He had been cleverly hidden among a batch of Peppermint Toads. Lavender didn't stay to chat. She marched off back to her own compartment further up the train, complaining how disgusting, slimly creatures should stay in swamps where they belonged. Neville gently placed his beloved toad in his pocket and left to change into his robes.

Harry, Ron and Hermione pulled on their uniforms just as the train pulled into Hogsmeade station. They left their trunks in the compartment, which would be taken up to the school by house-elves, and left the train.

The sky was extremely dark with storm clouds but thankfully no rain had fallen yet. A bitterly cold wind was making walking in a straight line rather difficult. Many hats were being whipped off students' heads and blowing around in the air as their owners raced around, snatching at them.

Harry, Ron and Hermione pulled their own hats off their heads and held them tightly in their fists as they struggled against the wind towards one of the many horse-less carriages waiting for them. Gratefully, they climbed into one and shut the door firmly. A few minutes later, many of the carriages set off in an orderly fashion towards the castle.

Harry gazed out of the window to watch as the grand old castle came into view. It looked magnificent with the mountains rising up behind it, silhouetted against the velvet black sky. Soft, glowing lights shone brightly from the many windows through the darkness.

Harry smiled.

He was back where he belonged.

*

**To Be Continued.**

*****

**_Please review._**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated._**

*****

**Authors Notes**

**Evil spapple pie -  **_I'll admit it is hard to image Pig hooting in unison with the other owls, but it sounded better than him screeching completely out of tune! ^_~ Glad you liked the chapter; it's one my favourites._

**Christy – **_Thank you, nice of you to say so.  Yep, I felt sorry for Harry never really celebrating his birthday so I wasn't about to miss the chance to give him a surprise party.  Maybe one day he'll get used to people caring about him.  Ah, the Marauder's Map; had to bring that back, it's important!_

**Lil Lupin – **_You were Beta-ing at midnight?  I try not to stay up too late writing, everything just goes badly when I do that.  Although I did receive a nifty pen for my birthday that doubles as a torch light!  So if the Inspiration Fairies decide to bite at one o'clock in the morning, I can use that without having to get out of bed to turn the bedroom light on! (And wake other people up)  That's happened to me a couple of times so I wonder if my parents were thinking about that when they bought it for me.  ^_^ _


	7. Professor Torr

**Chapter Seven; Professor Torr**

****

The Great Hall was decorated for the Welcoming Feast; each of the four house banners displaying their colours and symbols. Hundreds of levitating candles were floating above each of the four house tables and the staff table at the far end of the Hall. The enchanted ceiling showed the dark storm clouds rolling angrily across the sky as the first drops of rain began to fall.

'Just in time,' Ron muttered, leading Harry and Hermione over to their table. 'I seem to remember we got caught in a downpour last year.'

'Peeves didn't help either,' said Hermione, recalling the one-sided water-balloon fight the poltergeist had started in the entrance hall.

'Our timing must be improving,' Harry said, sitting down between them as the second years and above filed into the Hall.

Ron gave a snort and threw a disgusted look over at the doorway. Draco Malfoy had just swaggered in, flanked, as always, by Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry chose to ignore them and the sudden rush of burning hate in his stomach. Instead, he turned to look up at the staff table.

Professors Vector, Flitwick, Sinistra and Sprout were all there. Hagrid was probably on the lake by now with the new first years on their traditional journey before the Sorting Ceremony. Professor Dumbledore was sat in the centre of the table watching the students coming in. On his left was Snape.

Harry was actually quite shocked at the difference in the Potions Master's appearance. His long, greasy black hair hung practically lifeless, framing a grey-white face. The only paler faces in the whole Hall were those of the ghosts. Even his eyes looked different; sunken, blank and staring.

'Hey, guys, look at Snape!'

'Whoa! Is it my eyes or there a corpse sitting in Snape's place?' Ron said under his breath.

'My goodness!' Hermione whispered. 'He looks terrible! I wonder what happened to him?'

As much as they detested Snape in general, all three of them felt more than a little disturbed by the unexpected change.

Harry's thoughts flew back to Dumbledore asking Snape to do what Harry suspected at the time as being to return to Voldemort. To go undercover as a spy. A double agent.

Harry swore under his breath in frustration. He'd completely forgotten about talking to Remus about the situation. Now he was going to have to wait for him and Sirius to get to Hogsmeade. Looking up at the dark storm clouds and heavy rain, Harry hoped that they would be all right trying to fly in this weather.

Just then, Professor McGonagall entered the Hall leading a long line of first years, all of whom looked terribly nervous and soaked through. Hagrid came in behind them and went to sit at the end of the staff table. His beetle black eyes swept over the Hall to the Gryffindor table. Spotting Harry and the others, he gave a small wave and a cheerful smile.

Professor McGonagall put a four-legged stool before the frightened-looking first years and placed the old, battered Sorting Hat upon it. The rip near the brim opened up and the Hat started singing, much to the amazement of many of the new students. Once the Hat had finished, it bowed to each of the four tables in turn as everyone applauded.

Professor McGonagall took a long roll of parchment out of her robes and addressed the newcomers.

'When I call your name, you will step forward, sit on the stool and put on the Hat. When your House is announced, you will sit at the appropriate table.

'Adams, Christopher.'

A small blond boy inched his way slowly out of the line to the stool. He sat down and put the Hat on his head, which fell down over his wide frightened eyes.

_'Ravenclaw!' _shouted the Hat.

A look of immense relief on his face, Christopher almost ran to the Ravenclaw table as the students there applauded him.

'Anderson, Rachelle.'

_'Ravenclaw!'_

'Astor, Danielle.'

_'Gryffindor!'_

Harry clapped with the rest but was concentrating more on the staff table, trying to see if there were any new faces there. Unfortunately, the line of first years blocked his view.

'Banks, Andrew.'

_'Hufflepuff!'_

'Bennett, Julia.'

_'Hufflepuff!'_

'Carlin, Ruby.'

_'Ravenclaw!'_

'Dawson, Wayne.'

_'Slytherin!'_

As the first years were Sorted, the heavens opened up and thousands of gallons of water came pouring down upon the castle and grounds.

'I'm getting a strong feeling of deja-vu,' Ron groaned, looking up at the ceiling.

'Can either of you see the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?' Harry asked.

Ron leant back in his seat, trying to see around the line of first years.

'Don't think so,' he said. 'Oh, hang on,' He strained his neck and leaned back a little further. 'Yeah, we've got someone new up there. Can't see them very well, got their back to me -'

Ron abruptly threw himself forward, grabbing hold of the table, saving himself the embarrassment of falling backwards onto the floor. Harry was sure the McGonagall was glaring at Ron out of the corner of her eye as she continued to call names.

'Hunter, Selene.'

_'Gryffindor!'_

'Johnson, Elizabeth.'

_'Hufflepuff!'_

When at last the ceremony was over, the Hat and stool were removed and Dumbledore rose from his seat to address the students. His blue eyes sparkled and he smiled warmly around at them all.

'Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone. It is a great pleasure to see so many young people so eager to return to their studies -' Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. 'But I'm sure that you won't want to listen to me ramble on before you've filled your empty stomachs … nor afterwards if I'm much mistaken, but never mind. Enjoy the feast!'

Everyone clapped and cheered as the golden plates filled with food.

Harry ate heartily with the others but kept turning to look up at the staff table. Snape was picking at his food and not eating anything. Dumbledore spoke to him, looking concerned. Snape shook his head, muttering something distractedly.

Hagrid was draining his goblet with loud slurps, leaning back in his chair. Professor Sprout, who was sitting next to him, rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side. Hagrid obediently shifted over a bit and put down his empty goblet.

Professor Trelawney was nowhere to be seen. She was undoubtedly entombed in her North Tower room, gazing into her crystal ball and peering at mushy tea leaves, trying to figure out why Harry hadn't dropped dead yet.

When the last crumbs disappeared from the plates, everyone turned to face Dumbledore as he stood up again.

'Now then, I'm sure that everyone will be pleased to hear that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will take place this year,' The whole Hall rang with applause and cheers. Dumbledore gave them a minute before raising a hand for silence. 'I'd like the members of each House team to report to their Head of House after the feast, please.

'We have a new member of staff joining us this year; Professor Torr, who will take the position of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.'

Professor Torr stood up as the students clapped rather enthusiastically. Ron's eyes widened, his mouth falling open.

Professor Torr was nothing short of gorgeous. She could have passed off as a super-model with her long hair, a stunning shade of copper, shining in the light of the candles. Her almond shaped eyes were a peculiar violet colour. She smiled warmly around the Hall, showing off perfectly straight white teeth between dark shaded lips.

The entire male population of the room was gazing at her as though she were a Veela. Even the girls seemed impressed. Hermione was clapping just as much as everyone else, an approving look on her face.

Harry stared.

It felt a bit strange to find that they had a female professor when the last four had all been male, but that wasn't why Harry instantly felt a little wary of this stranger. So far, out of the four professors they'd had, two of them had been in league with Voldemort and one had been an egotistical con man.

Remus Lupin had been by far the best of any of the teachers, but he had been forced to resign when everyone found out that he was a werewolf. Or to be more accurate; when Snape told the entire Slytherin house what Remus was and word had spread like wildfire. Remus knew that very few of the parents would not object to him teaching their children, so he handed in his resignation before he was forced to do so by parental outrage. The vast majority of the students were sad to see him go for he had been the only competent professor for that subject up until that point.

Snape basically loathed Remus, Sirius and Harry's father, James, which explained his general attitude towards them and Harry. He also had his heart (assuming that he had one) set on getting the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. Harry glanced over, expecting to see something along the lines of distaste for missing out on the job for the fifth year in a row, but Snape seemed completely indifferent to what was going on around him.

Professor Torr gracefully sat back down as Dumbledore spoke up again.

'Just a reminder that the village of Hogsmeade is out of bounds to all the first and second years, and the Forbidden Forest is, likewise, out of bounds to all students.

'Now, off to bed, all of you! Remember, Quidditch teams to your Head of House immediately please!'

Hermione leapt to her feet, Prefect badge gleaming.

'First years follow me please!' she called down the table to the new students. 'See you two later,' she added to Ron and Harry.

'Hang on, Hermione, what's the password?' Ron asked, grabbing her arm before she could dash away.

'It's "Hesperides", got to go!' And she left, proudly leading a line of new Gryffindor first years off to the Tower.

'I'd better see what McGonagall wants,' said Harry. 

Ron nodded and followed Dean and Seamus out of the Hall.

Harry slipped through the crowd, met up with Fred and George then set off to find McGonagall. They reached the staff table and found Alicia and Katie waiting for them.

'We have to go to her office,' said Katie. 'She'll be there in a minute.'

The team went and sat in her office, wondering what was going on. They chatted freely until she arrived.

'Right then, you are probably wondering what this is all about.'

Fred and George nodded simultaneously, perked with interest. McGonagall settled herself behind her desk.

'Well, first of all, as I'm sure you're all aware, we are two players short. We need a new Keeper and Chaser assigned. Not to mention a new captain.'

Harry suddenly felt as though he'd swallowed an ice-cube, but couldn't for the life of him explain why.

'While Madam Hooch and I do have some say in the matter, what the final decision is will be up to the five of you.' She looked at each of them in turn with her penetrating gaze. 'So, I want each of you to think which of you here, apart from yourself, would be the most suitable for the position of captain.'

Harry immediately thought of Katie. She had all the right qualities to perform the duties that came with being captain. 

McGonagall gave them a few minutes to think about it, and then turned to Alicia.

'I think Harry should be captain,' she said.

Harry stared at her in amazement. Him?

''Why?' asked McGonagall.

'Because he has good leadership qualities.'

McGonagall nodded and looked at Katie.

'Harry, definitely, he's really dedicated to Quidditch.'

Fred and George answered simultaneously.

'Harry!'

Professor McGonagall actually smiled as she fixed Harry with her steely gaze. Harry felt quite overwhelmed. He hadn't exactly taken Fred and George seriously when they had mentioned the possibility of his being captain on his first night back at the Burrow.

'Well, Potter, I think the team has spoken and I must say that I agree with their choice. Will you accept the role of captain?'

Harry's throat and mouth seemed to have dried up. The others were watching him, waiting on tenterhooks.

Mutely, Harry nodded.

'Very well, we have a new captain,' McGonagall stated proudly.

The rest of the team cheered and clapped enthusiastically.

'Moving on, I am sure you will be pleased to know that this year we have a professional Quidditch coach at Hogwarts this year. She will undoubtedly be dropping in on your training sessions and matches.'

Everyone sat up straighter, giving her their full attention.

'She will be looking for talented young players, such as yourselves, to be considered for a national team if you so wish.'

'Cool!' Fred burst out, a wide grin on his face. 'Who is it?'

Professor McGonagall's smile faltered slightly.

'Professor Torr. She has kindly consented to give up a few years of coaching so that she can teach here instead.'

The team instantly brought up numerous questions, eagerly wanting to know more. But McGonagall insisted that they ought to direct their questions to Professor Torr. When she finally dismissed them Harry hurried off upstairs to Gryffindor Tower, half in a daze.

A professional Quidditch coach, here, _at Hogwarts! _A wonderful fantasy played with his thoughts, envisioning himself on his Firebolt, speeding through the air and making a spectacular catch of the Golden Snitch almost without any effort. The daydream progressed to Professor Torr introducing him to a large group of Quidditch League champions, welcoming him to their team. 

Harry was just visualising himself zooming around the Quidditch World Cup stadium when he walked straight into the Fat Lady's portrait.

'Watch it!' she squawked indignantly. 'Do pay attention to where you're going! Password?'

'Hesperides,' said Harry, rubbing his nose. 'And sorry about that.'

'That's okay, just be a little more careful next time,' said the Fat Lady, as she swung forward to let him inside.

Ron was already asleep by the time he'd got to the dormitory. Harry got changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed. He was sure that Ron would be just as thrilled to hear about Professor Torr. After all, if Ron managed to get onto the team he wouldn't want to miss an opportunity like this one. Harry snuggled down between the sheets, his daydream self back on his broom, soaring high on the wind. 

The Golden Snitch was glittering far below - he dived, the wind whipping at his robes and hair. He reached out a hand - No, wait, someone else was flying alongside him - fake it, pull up! Performing a flawless Wronski Feint, Harry's mind abruptly conjured up another image. The Dark Mark. Death Eaters - marching across a field of tents, blasting them out of their path as a family of Muggles were levitated high above them.

The wonderful fantasy faded in an instant. The Quidditch World Cup. Maybe not such a happy memory in that respect. Harry shivered and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. He felt guilty in a way; fantasising about a successful Quidditch career while there was a war going on. Surely that was more important right now. With the Dark Lord returned, it was unlikely that anyone's dreams were going to come true for a long time. The nightmares would surely take precedence. 

And yet, Harry mulled it over, here he was, stuck at Hogwarts while Professor Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus were already doing what they could to prevent Voldemort from trying to take over a second time. There didn't seem to be much Harry could do whilst he was still in school. Sirius would no doubt insist that Hogwarts was the safest place for him. Harry was less confident. If Voldemort was able to snatch Harry from Hogwarts once, he could do it again.

Harry frowned. While he couldn't deny that he'd really rather not come face to face with Voldemort again, that didn't mean that Harry was incapable of helping with the war effort. There had to be something he could do to help.

But until he knew something of what was going on, Harry knew there was very little he could do. So, in the mean time, there was still room for Quidditch dreams. Finally, Harry drifted off to sleep, the faint sparkle of the Golden Snitch just out of reach.

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review. _**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated_**_._

*

**Authors Notes**

**Evil spapple pie** – I think the trick is not to have dialogue like that going on for too long, otherwise it would end up sounding silly.  Glad you liked it – I enjoyed writing it!  Ah, you don't like toads?  Okay, food off limits, fair enough, but I like them anyway.  ^_^  

**Lil Lupin** – Oh no, I need my sleep.  I like it too much to deny myself a minimum of seven hours.  All my notepads and stuff are right by my bed.  To tell the truth, they're balanced rather precariously.  One of these days the whole shelf is going to collapse and everything will hit me in the head.  Still, it's not likely to do any damage.  ^_^  I'm sure the doctors will let you have a light pen.  And if you ask extra nice, they'll let you have the room with the rubber wallpaper!  Great fun!  *bounces manically round the room*

**Evol norgura – **Hello there!  Glad you approve.  I've tried to avoid using too much 'snogging and fluff' in this fic.  Personally I feel that too much spoils an otherwise good fic.****

**Christy – **A fair point.  Maybe someone ought to let JK Rowling know.  ^_^  Having said that, I wonder if anything like this will crop up in Order of the Phoenix?  Be weird if it did!****


	8. First Impressions

**Chapter Eight; First Impressions**

The following morning Harry told Ron and Hermione the news that he'd been elected as the new captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch team over breakfast. Word spread faster than a speeding Snitch and Harry had to endure another round of applause and cheering.

Harry was also quick to inform Ron about Professor Torr's Quidditch status.

'Wow! Harry, this - this could be big! Can you image being on an _International _Quidditch team?' Harry grinned and nodded. Ron seemed to have forgotten his breakfast entirely, gazing up at the staff table where Professor Torr sat, chatting pleasantly with Professor Sprout. 'I mean, you've got talent, she's bound to sign you up as soon as you've finished school. Or maybe you'll be like Krum! Stay on at school, but train during the holidays!'

Hermione, though she had little interest in getting on a broomstick herself, was just as pleased at the opportunity.

'Chances like this don't often come along, Harry. Now that you're captain you're going to have to work harder than ever to impress her. It isn't all about catching the Snitch, you know. She'll want to see that you can work with the rest of the team, rather than focus on your own task.'

Indeed, the prospect of such a great career step had caught everyone's attention. Quidditch was the main topic on every table. 

Professor McGonagall was coming down the table, handing out the new timetables.

Ron took one look at his and groaned.

'I don't believe it! We're _still _with the Slytherins for Potions _and_ Care of Magical Creatures!' He tossed the timetable into his bag. 'Don't they ever think to swap the groups around?'

'Doesn't look like it,' Harry sighed. 'And we've got Divination to look forward to this afternoon.'

'Oh, yippee! I can hardly wait!' Ron exclaimed with fake enthusiasm, swinging his bag over his shoulder and leading them out of the Hall for Transfiguration.

*

By lunchtime, the whole school had heard the news about Harry being the new Gryffindor captain. While many people sought him out to congratulate him, the Slytherins made sneering comments of how they were sure to win back the Cup this year as the Gryffindor team was bound to fall apart under Potter's leadership.

Harry couldn't have cared less about what the Slytherins said, but everyone, including those from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, seemed to have such high expectations of him, that Harry wasn't sure if he was going to be able to live up to it. Determined all the same, Harry had pinned up a notice on the message board in the common room that morning, advertising the vacancies on the team, with the date and time of the tryout.

After lunch Ron and Harry went up to the North Tower for Divination.

'How long do you reckon it'll take her to predict your death?' Ron asked as he climbed up the silver ladder into the classroom.

'About fifteen minutes.'

'I bet ten.'

'I bet a pack of Chocolate Frogs and a Sugar Quill that you're wrong.'

'All right, you're on!'

As the class sat down, Professor Trelawney made her dramatic entrance from the shadows and gazed around at them all. Her eyes lingered on Harry for a moment, looking as though she were about to say something, but thought better of it.

'My dears, I bid you welcome and pray that the Fates favour you this day.' she said in her soft, misty voice.

Lavender and Parvati were practically spellbound, hanging on to every word.

Professor Trelawney produced a large, black, silk bag and informed the class that the entire year was to be devoted to the reading of Tarot cards. 

'The Tarot is a complex form of Divination that can take many years to fully comprehend. The cards' meanings are not restricted to the simple explanations found in text books; the true meanings come from within yourself and the impressions which the cards give you.'

She held out the bag to each student in turn and they each drew out a deck of cards.

'Every deck is unique, my dears. Fate will guide your hand to the one most receptacle to your aura.'

Ron put his hand in the bag and withdrew a deck patterned in burgundy.

'Well, at least it's not maroon,' he muttered.

Harry, with some trepidation, reached deep into the bag, his hand brushing over several large packs of cards. Grabbing hold of one, he slowly pulled it out. Slightly larger than an ordinary pack of cards, it was beautifully decorated with entangled silver vines on a black background. Professor Trelawney stared at it, looking like she was about to faint. She let out a small gasp of horror before hurrying off to the next table.

'Spend some time shuffling and handling your deck, my dears. Allow the cards time to absorb a little of your psychic energies to produce accurate readings.' she said once everyone had chosen a deck. 'Never allow another person to touch your cards for their energies will contaminate the deck. Only with your permission may they be touched, and only if you are performing a reading for them. That is possibly the most important rule of the Tarot; never forget it, my dears.'

Before long, the class were shuffling the decks awkwardly and placing cards face down on the table in a basic three-card spread. Having their copies of '_Unfogging the Future'_ open at pages 58 and 59, they were about to attempt their first reading.

Harry went first. He flipped over the first card. The picture portrayed a tall skeleton holding a scythe blade with several human heads at its feet. The title was _Death._

Ron rolled his eyes. 'Who couldn't see that one coming?'

Harry couldn't say he was surprised. He turned over his second card.

_The Devil.  _A hideous creature with two humans on either side of it, their necks encircled with chains.

Ron stared at it, less amused.

'Ooookay. Should we stop now?'

But Harry turned over the final card to reveal a dark, sinister tower being struck by lightning bolts as two figures plummeted to the ground below. _The Tower._

'That doesn't look good.' Ron quickly consulted his book. 'Huh, that's weird.'

'What is?'

'The Death card doesn't mean an actual death; it symbolises change.' He shut the book looking relieved. 'So there we go, nothing to worry about!'

Unfortunately, Professor Trelawney had glided over at that moment to see their spreads. She took one look at Harry's and gave a strangled scream, startling the class.

'Oh, my poor dear! You have drawn the worst cards of the Major Arcana!'

She sank into a chair beside Harry and consulted the cards, her eyes huge and staring, her spindly hands hovering over the cards as though unsure as to whether it was safe to touch them. The entire class was watching with interest, leaning forward to see better. Harry checked his watch. The lesson had started nearly ten minutes ago and Professor Trelawney was surely about to -

'A change for the worst is fast approaching! Devastating consequences of thoughtless actions!' She stared glassy-eyed at the _Tower_ card. 'And the destruction of everything you hold dear to your heart!' she announced in a breathless whisper.

'Let me guess,' Harry spoke up with fake brightness. 'I'm gonna die, right?'

Ron had to stuff his fist into his mouth to avoid laughing out loud. Dean and Seamus were sniggering in the far corner and Neville cracked a smile. The rest of the class seemed horrified that Harry wasn't taking the reading serious.

Professor Trelawney, however, didn't react to his words beyond a tragic, watery-eyed gaze. She merely rose and silently glided over to where Lavender and Parvati were seated.

Ron checked his watch and grinned up at Harry.

'Ten minutes, I win!'

*

Harry looked up at the post-owls streaming into the Great Hall. He hadn't touched his scrambled eggs or his pumpkin juice. He was too preoccupied to eat.

A handsome tawny owl swooped down towards him. With impressive aim, the owl dropped the letter it was holding in its beak neatly between Harry's plate and Ron's. Quickly, Harry snatched up the letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_Just writing to let you know that Padfoot and I have arrived in Hogsmeade. Could you let us know the dates of the Hogsmeade weekends as soon as possible? Don't forget the promise you made to Padfoot, okay? Hopefully we'll see you soon._

_From Moony_

The larger, untidy scrawl that was Sirius' hand then replaced the neat writing.

_Harry, tonight at eleven o'clock, look out of your dormitory window. Watch the forest. _

_Padfoot_

Hermione read the letter over his shoulder.

'The first weekend's at the start of October,' she said. 'But what's Snuffles up to?'

'No idea,' said Harry, folding up the letter and putting it away inside his robes. 'When have we got Defence Against the Dark Arts?'

'In five minutes, come on Harry, hurry up and eat.' said Ron, shovelling a piece of toast into his mouth and grabbing his bag.

*

The Gryffindors arrived at the Defence classroom long before Professor Torr had even left the Great Hall. There was a rush for seats and everyone had their wands, quills, books and parchment out ready by the time she swept into the room.

'Good morning everyone!' she said cheerfully.

Professor Torr's dark hair was tied back in an elegant French braid and her dark red robes hugged her body tightly, showing off a slender figure.

She called the register, pausing only for a second before calling Harry's name, then picked up her wand.

'Now then, Professor Dumbledore has kindly brought me up to date with the subject areas you've already covered. I'm aware that you've seen the Unforgivables and covered a wide variety of hexes and Dark creatures.' 

She paused, giving the class an almost disapproving glare.

'Yet none of you have had any practical training in defending yourself from a magical attack, which I find quite unsatisfactory for a fifth year class - _VULNUS!'_

A blast of dark blue light shot over their heads - the whole class ducked, some students crying out in fright. With an alarming bang, the hex struck the back wall. The students slowly sat back up, looking over their shoulders at the blackened scorch marks on the stone.

Professor Torr twirled her wand skilfully between slender fingers.

'How many of you were ready for that?' Her violet eyes swept round the room. 'None of you. Not that that would have made a difference since you wouldn't have known how to block a curse such as that. We shall begin with the most basic of the Elemental Barriers. Come on, now, wands out, let's get started.'

The Gryffindors snatched up their wands, rapt with attention. Soon, the class were all trying to conjure a temporary shimmering barrier out of the air in front of them. Professor Torr charmed several pieces of chalk to fly slowly towards them to practise blocking. 

Neville wasn't having much luck. His chalk flew straight into his face, smudging his nose before reversing sharply and flying forward to attack again. Hermione, having no such problem, was quick to point out his mispronunciation of the incantation. Harry and Ron were also quick to catch on.

Harry brandished his wand at the attacking chalk.

_'Claustra-aeris!'_ he commanded.

The chalk shuddered, stopping abruptly in mid-air. The air between Harry's wand and the chalk was rippling slightly, blurring like a heat-haze.

Professor Torr was striding up and down the classroom.

'Not bad, Mr Finnigan, not bad. Keep your hand steady, Miss Patil, no need to be so elaborate with the wand motion - there's no time for fancy deliverance in a fight.'

Professor Torr paused to have a look at Ron's and Harry's. Both barriers were holding off the chalk pieces. Professor Torr nodded, satisfied.

'Very good, Mr Weasley … Mr Potter - but let's see how strong they really are.'

She flicked her wand at the levitating chalk. Both pieces began to strain at the barriers, pushing so hard that they started to vibrate. Slowly, Harry's piece edged forward.

Brow furrowed in concentration, Harry repeated the spell firmly under his breath. The chalk faltered. For a second Harry was sure it had worked. But then the chalk abruptly tore through the air barrier to smack him squarely between the eyes, barely missing his glasses.

'A fair try, Mr Potter,' said Professor Torr, turning instead to smile at Ron whose own barrier was still keeping the chalk at bay. 'Very impressive, Mr Weasley,' she smiled before moving on to check Lavender's.

Ron looked rather smug. 

'This is easy really.' he said, twirling his wand casually at the chalk as it pushed harder against the barrier.

'Speak for yourself,' muttered Harry, rubbing his forehead. His chalk was drifting lazily in the air like it was mocking him. Gripping his wand firmly, Harry tried again.

By the time the bell had rung to signal the end of the lesson, Harry had shown some improvement, but by no means was he the only one baring chalk marks and small scratches. Parvati was rubbing her face with a tissue, wiping away a fair amount of chalk dust. Neville was looking unnaturally pale and Dean was tenderly feeling a scratch on his nose where a sharp edge had caught him.

'Come on, Harry,' said Ron, tossing his wand back into his bag. 'Let's ask her about Quidditch.'

Harry nodded eagerly, swung his bag onto his shoulder and followed Ron up to Professor Torr's desk. She looked up at them as they approached.

'Can I help you with something, Mr Weasley?' she asked brightly.

'Well … um … actually I was wondering - what with you being a Quidditch coach and all - if you were going to come and watch the Gryffindor try-outs in October?' said Ron in a rush.

Professor Torr smiled.

'Certainly, I wouldn't want to miss that. Are you on the team? What position?'

Ron grinned, shaking his head.

'No, Professor, but I'll be trying out for Keeper. Harry's on the team,' Ron gestured to Harry. 'He's the Gryffindor Seeker _and _the new Captain!'

Professor Torr's violet eyes looked Harry up and down, taking in his slender build, glasses, messy hair and lingering on his forehead.

'Indeed,' she said slowly, shifting her gaze back to Ron.

'Harry was the youngest Seeker in a century,' he went on, sounding very proud. '_And_ Gryffindor has never lost a match since he joined!'

Harry could have corrected Ron on that point, but was too busy grinning like an idiot.

'Ron's been training all summer,' Harry said quickly. 'I think he'd make a great Keeper -'

Professor Torr nodded and stood up.

'Well, I suppose I'll have to keep an eye on you, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley. I'll see you both next lesson.' 

She shooed them out of the classroom and walked off down the corridor.

Harry and Ron stood there, staring after her, rather taken aback. Ron looked at Harry.

'Okay, not the friendliest person I've ever met,' he said in a disappointed tone. 'I thought she'd have been impressed.'

'Well, thanks anyway, you didn't have to say all that.'

'Why not? Harry, you can go places in Quidditch if you can get in with the right people. You wait until she sees you in the air, I'll bet she'll want to sign you up in no time.'

'But what about you?' asked Harry as they set off down the corridor towards the Great Hall. 'Don't you think she'll be impressed with you? She seemed more interested in talking to you.'

Ron shrugged.

'I dunno. Guess it depends on whether I make the team or not.' He chanced a half-glance at Harry.

'Ron, I can't just put you on the team because you're my best friend,' sighed Harry.

'I wasn't thinking that,' said Ron, a little too quickly. 

'Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have you on the team, I've seen you play and I really think you're good enough to make the team, but … you've really got to prove it at the trials against everyone else who's trying for it.'

Ron nodded, eyes on the floor.

'Come on, Ron,' said Harry, slightly exasperated. 'I can't show favouritism, you know I can't. It wouldn't be fair.'

'Yeah, I know,' said Ron, gloomily.

'Look, you come to the trials, show everyone what you can do, play better than everyone else trying for Keeper and I'll be hard pushed _not _to put you on the team.'

Ron perked up, grinning. 'Force you into it, will I?'

Harry gave a helpless shrug. 'I won't have a choice!' he said, smiling.

They hurried off to lunch.

*

Harry lay awake in bed, staring up at the dark canopy of his bed, waiting for eleven o'clock to arrive. Everyone else in the dormitory was fast asleep; muffled snoring was the only sound in the darkness.

Harry sighed, thinking about what Ron had said.

Did he really have the talent to be a professional player? Okay, everyone said he had talent … true; he'd only ever lost one match in three years, but was that good enough?

It was nice to believe that he was, but Harry couldn't help but wonder.

Professor Torr hadn't seemed too impressed, almost disinterested, but like Ron had said, she'd have to see him fly first.

Ten to eleven.

The fantasies from the night before came back to him. Hermione was right, as always, this _could_ be a huge chance for him. 

But could he really take it with a war going on? It felt wrong in a way. Like he shouldn't be planning a future when someone was bent on having him killed. Anything beyond planning to stay alive seemed a tad pointless at the moment.

Harry groaned and rolled over. This wasn't fair. So what if he wanted to play Quidditch? Why shouldn't he have some fun while he could? Besides, Professor Torr might not even want to consider him - Harry's heart sank. Now he was just depressing himself. 

It was frustrating but what was he supposed to do? Put his life on hold because of a war he could do very little to influence was coming? It was ridiculous to think that he alone could do something. Perhaps as long as he stayed safe, that would be enough for the time being. If he didn't do that now, Sirius would no doubt insist upon it. 

Harry checked his watch. Eleven o'clock.

Swinging himself out of bed, Harry crept over to the window. The beautiful crescent moon, surrounded by millions of shining stars, lit the dark blue sky. The grounds below were bathed in a soft silver-white light. The Whomping Willow stood alone and as still as a statue in the centre of the grounds, clearly illuminated by the starlight.

Then something else caught Harry's eye.

It emerged from the forest, slowly at first, as though it didn't want to be seen. A huge, bear-like dog, as black as the shadows, slipped out from under the cover of the trees and trotted purposely across the lawns.

Harry hoisted himself up and sat on the windowsill, watching. Sirius paused by Hagrid's vegetable patch and looked up towards Gryffindor Tower. Harry smiled and waved. His godfather wagged his tail and raised a paw in acknowledgement.

He was carrying something in his mouth. Squeezing between the fence plats, Sirius entered the patch and began to dig. Harry leaned forward, nose pressed against the glass.

Sirius was digging a shallow hole between a row of pumpkins and a row of tall leafy plants Harry assumed were tomatoes. A minute later, Sirius dropped what he held in his jaw into the hole, turned around and started shifting the earth back over it. Once the hole had been filled, Sirius wriggled back through the fence, scampered up the lawn and looked back up at Harry.

With a toss of his head and a low bark, Sirius indicated the patch. Harry got the gist of the message and gave Sirius the thumbs up and a nod.

Satisfied, Sirius barked again, spun round and headed back to the forest. Like a ghost, he melted into the shadows and vanished.

Harry moved back to bed, curious as to what Sirius had left but did not dare risk sneaking out to have a look. Lying back down, Harry suddenly felt lot better. Sirius going to be nearby this year for the sole purpose of looking out for Harry. There weren't any Dementors around so he was unlikely to get caught. It was still risky being here, but it was risk he was taking for Harry.

That lovely warm feeling of content soon had him drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review._**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*****

**Authors Notes**

**Christy – **Don't worry, they'll keep coming for another ten weeks or so!  It is a fairly long fic. ^_^****

**Evil spapple pie – **LOL.  Okay, I guess you have more of a reason to dislike toads than I do to like them.  But – playing golf with them?? *cracks up laughing*  

Yep, 7 was an uneventful chapter, I really agree. – I just needed to get them all to Hogwarts and the introduction of the new professor over and done with.  Now that that's out of the way, the story can get going.  It does pick up over the next few chapters.   

But … um … what is a Mary Sue?  It's probably a silly question but I can only assume that it's an American term for … something or other.  I've seen the phrase used by other authors, usually claiming that their new character is not a Mary Sue … but I have no idea what they're going on about!  Could you be a very kind person and explain to me what that means?  I don't like being left in the dark!

**MorganD** - *Puts finger to lips*  Ssshhh!  *Whispers dramatically*  All will be revealed in due course!  And not for a while I might add!  It took a while but I've managed to sort out the missing pieces that you wrote to me about. *fingers crossed*  Hope you liked the chapter and I'll see you around, my faithful reader!  


	9. Suspicions and Snakes

**Chapter Nine; Suspicions and Snakes**

****

Harry squinted hopelessly through the strange blue-green mist. He couldn't see far but he had the distinct feeling that he was in the Great Hall; there was a sense of vastness about the chamber. The air was cold, swirling about his body, the mist wafting into his face. Attempts to brush it away were futile.

Someone was beside him. Harry turned. Sirius was standing but a few feet away, his expression blank, his dark eyes fixed on a point beyond Harry. Harry moved towards him, calling his name. But Sirius did not say a word; he turned his back on Harry, transformed into a great black dog and slunk away into the mist like a shadow, vanishing from sight. Blindly, Harry tried to follow, calling out to his godfather but Sirius couldn't, or wouldn't, answer him.

There were other figures in the mist. Harry struggled to make out their forms. Hooded. Cloaked. Death Eaters? Harry couldn't be sure. He tried to approach them, to find out who, or what, they were, but every time he got close to one, he could feel someone drawing him away in the opposite direction, whispering in a strange discord of voices, echoing and faint, clouding his vision with the mist, though there was no one there.

Spinning around, Harry could have sworn he'd seen an animal race pass. Shrouded in the mist, the huge creature turned to look at Harry, its large amber eyes shining with an unnatural glowing light. Then, from behind it, a flash of blinding silver-white light engulfed the beast and it vanished -

Harry woke suddenly, finding the dormitory filled with early morning sunshine and someone's rear end sticking out from under the neighbouring bed. 

Harry fumbled for his glasses.

'Ron?'

Ron jerked, there was a sudden bang, followed by the muffled cursing of a Weasley in pain.

Harry winced.

'Sorry, you all right?'

Ron slid out from under his bed rubbing the back of his head.

'Yeah, I'm fine.' He grimaced. 'Jeez, that hurts!'

'What were you doing under there?' Harry reached for his glasses and robes. 'Lost something?'

Ron nodded, then stopped since his head hurt.

'Yep, haven't seen my Monster Book anywhere have you?'

'Oh no. Please tell me it hasn't escaped.' Harry groaned.

'Okay, it hasn't escaped.' Ron grinned. 'I'd be lying, but I'll say it anyway.'

The other Gryffindor boys had already gone down for breakfast so Harry and Ron searched the dormitory themselves. They found Ron's book under Dean's bed, apparently dozing. Very carefully, Harry used a Summoning Charm to slide it out then Ron used a Binding Spell to stop it biting their hands off.

They raced down to the Great Hall for a hurried breakfast then ran outside for Care of Magical Creatures.

Ron's Monster book was putting up a good fight, wriggling frantically in his bag. It was still under the Binding Spell until Harry suggested stroking it to calm it down. Harry's own copy was fairly tame now but still liable to snap if provoked.

The rest of the class was already gathered around Hagrid outside of his cabin. He spotted them hurrying across the lawn and waved.

'Com' on you two! Yer late!'

He was trying to sound stern but it didn't really work as he was smiling at the two of them.

Harry and Ron joined Hermione, who, surprisingly, made no comment as to their tardiness. Ron breathed a silent sigh of relief.

'Righ' then, gather round 'ere ... now I don' wancha ter panic or nothin' but if there's any of yer scared a snakes, yer might wanna stand back.'

Parvati and Lavender scooted back sharply. Pansy Parkinson went a little pale but stayed where she was. Neville backed away only slightly, looking apprehensive. Draco Malfoy looked over at Harry, sneering with distaste. Harry, intrigued, moved closer to see better.

Hagrid reached into a large sack and gently pulled out a snake that was covered in bright orange scales with black stripes. It would have been considered beautiful but that rating fell short when you noticed its heads. There were three of them, each looking around in a different direction. 

The head on the left looked over at Harry, staring intently.

'Any of yer know what this is?' Hagrid asked as he held the five-foot long snake up for them all to see.

To no ones surprise, Hermione's hand shot up into the air.

'It's a Runespoor. They originate from Africa.'

'Tha's right, five points fer Gryffindor.'

Harry looked past Hagrid to the vegetable patch. He couldn't just jump the fence in the middle of a lesson, but he had to get whatever Sirius had buried before anyone noticed the disturbed earth and paw prints. Hopefully if Hagrid saw, he'd just think his boarhound Fang had buried a bone, or something.

Hagrid held out the Runespoor, which was hissing softly.

'Who wants to hold it? Don' worry, it won't bite yer.'

Nobody else seemed keen to go first but Harry stepped forward eagerly. Each of the three heads snapped round and fixed Harry with a sharp stare.

Could the Runespoor sense that he was a Parselmouth?

Gently, Harry took the snake from Hagrid. Instantly the snake wove its way up his right arm, raising its heads up to peer directly into Harry's bright green eyes.

Oblivious to the other students watching him, Harry opened his mouth and gave a soft hiss.

_Hello. Can you understand me?_

The left head hissed back.

_Yes I can. So, you _are_ a Parselmouth._ It 'sounded' mildly surprised. _I did wonder._

_Finally! I might have a decent conversation at last!_ The right head hissed haughtily.

The head in between them moved closer.

_What is your name, child?_ It's 'voice' sounded dreamy, much softer than the other two.

_My name's Harry Potter. What's yours?_

_Enchanted to meet you, Harry._ Middle head said politely. _My, or our, name is Neonate._

_We've never met a Parselmouth before,_ said Left.

_There's so few of your kind around._ Right said.

_Even less with any manners,_ muttered Left. _Any witch or wizard that can talk to an animal of some kind seems to think they can order them to do anything they want! _

_The least they could do is ask politely._ Middle head added sadly. _So rude, most of them._

_You mean some wizards can talk to other animals? _Harry asked. He'd never considered the possibility before.

_Yes indeed, but there aren't very many. These gifts are rare. Some have an infinity with the feathered creatures or those that are cloaked with fur. Those that can commune with those of scales are more of a rarity. _

Hagrid looked thrilled that Harry was talking to the Runespoor. Hermione was watching with interest but most of the class looked half impressed, half nervous. Since Parseltongue was associated with Dark magic and Dark wizards, it wasn't surprising that Harry was getting weird looks.

Harry politely informed the Runespoor that he was going to pass him onto a friend. The snake lay placid and quiet as Ron took him gently.

At the end of the lesson, Hagrid took the Runespoor into his cabin and the class left for the castle. Harry headed for the vegetable patch. Ron and Hermione followed.

'Harry, what are you doing?' Hermione asked as he climbed over the fence.

'Snuffles left something here last night,' he said walking among the pumpkins. 'Don't know what though.'

Finding a small mound of disturbed earth, Harry knelt down and started to brush away the loose soil. Ron leaned over the fence for a better look. After only a few moments, Harry's fingertips brushed over something soft. Quickly he cleared away the rest of the dirt and found a small, soft leather bag. Harry slipped it into his school bag and hurried out of the patch.

*

Hermione and Ron went with Harry up to the common room after dinner, keen to see what the bag contained.

'Doesn't feel very heavy.' said Ron weighing it in his hands before passing it back to Harry.

Harry opened the flap at the top, stuck his hand in and drew something out.

'Wow!' Hermione gasped.

Ron gave a low whistle.

It was a beautiful talisman of a delicate Celtic design. The fine intertwining silver strands curving protectively round a black obsidian jewel. Holding it to the light the jewel suddenly appeared to be iridescent, casting little specks of rainbow light onto the walls as the sunlight touched it. It hung on a long fine silver chain.

And it was glowing. Glowing with a soft blue-green light. It felt warm, like it was vibrating slightly.

'There's a note with it.' Hermione tugged a piece of parchment out of the bag.

_Dear Harry,_

_I want you to wear this talisman at ALL times. It harbours a very powerful protection spell which will activate of its own accord should you ever need it. Moony and I picked it up on our way up here from an old friend of ours._

_I want you to promise me that you won't take it off for any reason. With Voldemort's return, you are in more danger than most. I know you are more than capable of looking after yourself but we have to take every precaution._

_Say hi to Ron and Hermione for me._

_Sirius_

Obediently and without hesitation Harry put the amulet around his neck and tucked it down the front of his robes.

Suddenly, the amulet no longer felt alive and warm, but cold and sharp, like when an ice cube suddenly touches your bare skin. Harry breathed in sharply in surprise but next moment, the feeling was gone. It didn't even feel like the amulet was there.

Ron raised an eyebrow. 'You okay?'

'Yeah ... I'm fine.' Harry said, forcing nonchalance. 'It's just a bit cold, you know?'

'Good idea of Snuffles to send you that,' Hermione said. 'I'm glad he's much closer this year, I just hope he doesn't get caught.'

'He won't,' said Harry firmly. 'The Ministry won't think to look for him back here. They probably think he's skipped the country, gone to Albania or somewhere.'

'To where You-Know-Who is?' Ron asked nervously.

Harry shook his head.

'No. He's in England. Or was,' he corrected himself.

Hermione shuddered.

'I wonder what's going to happen now,' she whispered as thought the subject warranted it. 'There hasn't been anything in the Daily Prophet.'

'That git of a Minister Fudge is probably keeping it quiet,' sneered Ron.

'No, I don't mean the Dark Lords actual return,' said Hermione. 'I meant nothing as in any attacks or disappearances. No sign of the Dark Mark either.'

'No deaths at all?' Harry ventured.

'None suspicious.' She frowned. 'It's strange.'

'Weird,' agreed Ron. 'The way my parents were going on, you'd think we'd be getting news of a few dozen deaths and reports of torturing every day at least.'

'Like it was when he was in power,' murmured Harry. 'But hasn't anything happened at all? I mean, it's been over a month since ...' he trailed off.

'So, we're thinking what?' Ron asked. 'That he's suddenly decided that he's had enough of world domination plans and immortality? Got bored with the idea? What are the odds of _that_ happening?'

'I meant to ask Remus what was going on but I got kind of distracted.'

'Well, why not use the Map to sneak out-'

'Ron!'

'Oh, come on, Hermione!'

'Harry, you promised Snuffles that you would stay in the castle-'

'If he or Remus weren't around!' Ron butted in. 'There is a reason why they gave Harry the Map back!'

'And they are both in Hogsmeade,' Harry added thoughtfully.

'Harry!' Hermione did a marvellous imitation of Professor McGonagall at that moment causing Harry and Ron both to stop and stare at her.

Then the stern mask slipped. She looked pale and worried. When she spoke, her voice quivered slightly.

'Harry, just because we haven't heard any news of Death Eaters, attacks or torture or anything,' Hermione became very focused on her lap. Her voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible, 'it doesn't make it safe for you to risk leaving the castle. Anything could happen to you.'

Harry looked over at Ron who was giving Hermione a very concerned and worried expression.

'Hermione,' Harry said slowly and softly so only the three of them could hear. 'I know you're scared, we _all_ are. Hogwarts is the safest place any of us could possibly be and I'd have to be an idiot not to realise that but we _do_ need to know what's going on out there.'

Hermione didn't look up.

'So, I'll wait until the Hogsmeade weekend to talk to Sirius and Remus, it'll be safer for all of us.'

Hermione did look up at him at those words. Her eyes were damp but she smiled, relived.

'Good ... that's good ... because ... oh, Harry ... I'd hate to see you get ... hurt.'

'I don't want me to get hurt either!' Harry pulled a bar of chocolate out of his bag. 'Enough of the morbid stuff; who wants chocolate?'

*

October couldn't come quickly enough for Harry's liking.

They had entered their first Potions lesson of the year with a vague feeling of being (dare they admit it?) 'nicer' towards Snape. But clearly whatever cloud had been hanging over Snape at the Welcome Feast had vanished just in time for the first lesson between Gryffindors and Slytherins.

Snape in just as a vindictive mood as ever, taking five points from Gryffindor when Dean spilled a jar of squirrel liver over the desk, five from Lavender for not adding enough loganberry juice to her potion and ten from Harry for sneezing.

'You know inhaling powdered racoon bone is considered hazardous to your health.' Hermione whispered, handing him a tissue as Snape turned to praise Malfoy's potion. 

'It'll be hazardous to Snape's health if he keeps this up,' muttered Ron darkly. 'Maybe we could ask Snuffles to sneak in and hex Snape's office shut ... with Snape inside!'

'With a Norwegian Ridgeback for company!' Harry added, crushing the tissue angrily. 'Whaddya think?'

'Best idea you've had all day.'

'What were we thinking?'

'What were _you_ thinking?' Ron demanded, sniggering. 'Since when would Snape appreciate our being 'nice' to him during lessons, even if he did notice?'

'All right! Bad idea, so sue me!'

'You still owe me those Frogs and Quill.'

'I haven't forgotten; you'll just have to wait until Hogsmeade to get them.'

'Shhh!' Hermione hissed at them before twisting back round to her potion just as Snape swept by again. Ron and Harry quickly continued to brew theirs, waiting impatiently for the bell to ring.

Defence Against the Dark Arts wasn't much better. Several lessons on they were still working on Element Barriers and Harry was continuing having trouble with the Air Barrier spell. It wasn't strong enough to deflect even a minor jinx; something Professor Torr was far from impressed with.

'You're holding your wand far too tightly,' she said, frowning as Harry failed to block Ron's Leg Locker curse for the fourth time. 'Loosen your grip and relax. Now, try bringing your wand up faster; use a swift left to right sweep at shoulder height, then follow through with a sharp flick directly at the oncoming curse - like so …'

Professor Torr waved her wand skilfully through the air, rapidly conjuring a vast shimmering barrier spanning the length of the classroom.

Harry watched carefully, turned back to face Ron. He raised his wand.

'No, no, Mr Potter, pay attention.'

Professor Torr stood beside him and brought her wand up in an elaborate sweep. Harry, following her hand with his eyes, mirrored the action as best he could, determined to get it right this time.

Just as he spoke the incantation, however, he faltered in mid-sweep. As a result, the Barrier materialised too far to his right just as Ron cast the Jelly-Legs Jinx at him. The jinx flew straight past the barrier to hit Harry right in the chest. A rubbery sensation shot down through his legs. Wobbling precariously Harry fell against Professor Torr. She managed to grab him before he hit the floor, steadying him.

'Careful, Mr Potter!' She shook her head as she cast the counter-curse, restoring his bendy legs to normal. Ron came over and offered Harry a hand to help him up.

'Sorry, Harry,' he said, pulling Harry to his feet.

'I wouldn't apologise, Mr Weasley,' said Professor Torr, smoothing out her robes. 'It's not your fault if Mr Potter can't at least aim in the right direction. I expect to see a vast improvement between now and next week, Mr Potter.' she added coldly to Harry, who nodded, gripping his wand tightly.

'Yes, Professor,' he said as the bell rang.

Harry didn't move as the rest of the class gathered their books and made for the door. He stayed where he was, watching Professor Torr as she turned away, or rather, at her hand.

She was wearing a ring. A ring of a Celtic design with a small dark stone in the centre.

Just like the talisman. 

Harry hadn't taken if off since he'd got it over a week ago. He'd almost forgotten that he had it. Right now though, it felt suddenly ice cold, like when he'd first put it on. Harry shivered.

'Harry? Are you all right?' asked Hermione, coming up behind him.

Professor Torr looked back over her shoulder at them, her violet eyes slightly narrowed in annoyance.

'Is there something wrong, Mr Potter?' she asked testily. 

Mutely, Harry shook his head.

'Then get along to your next lesson. I have another class in a few minutes.'

Without a word, Harry turned and left, Ron and Hermione behind him.

*

'Coincidence,' said Hermione loftily. 'I wouldn't worry about it, Harry.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sat in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, their Charms homework spread across the table. Harry had filled them both in on Professor Torr's ring and his concern over its similarity with the talisman. Hermione didn't seem worried.

'Are you _quite_ sure it was the same design?' asked Hermione. 'I mean, from a distance it may have _appeared_ to be similar. There's plenty of Celtic style jewellery around, Harry. It's not uncommon to see people wearing it, lots of people like it.'

'I'm sure it's the same.' said Harry forcibly. He reached down the front of his robes and drew out the talisman. Holding it in his hand, it did look remarkably like Professor Torr's ring.

'Harry, you know Snuffles wouldn't send you something that wasn't safe,' said Hermione reassuringly, continuing to write her essay on Camouflage Charms.

'I know that. It's just … after last year …' he trailed off, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. Harry hadn't said much about the events of last year. About the Dark Lords return … the death of Cedric Diggory … and the Mad-eye Moody impostor.

'Come on, Harry,' said Ron. 'What are the chances of that happening again, eh? Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone he didn't trust.'

'I guess,' said Harry listlessly.

'Look, if it worries you this much, you can always talk to Siri - I mean, Snuffles, when we go to Hogsmeade next week. If he knows anything about Professor Torr he'll be able to tell you. Okay?'

Harry nodded. He stared at the talisman in his hands, then slowly tucked it away down his robes, out of sight. 

'Yeah, you're right.' He sighed, forcing nonchalance. 'It's probably nothing, really. Fancy a game of chess?'

This seemed to satisfy both Ron and Hermione, but, as Harry resigned himself to loosing yet another game to Ron, he just couldn't expel the gnawing sensation of doubt, the talisman lying cold against his chest. 

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review._**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*****

**Authors Notes**

Hey, lots of people eager to fill me in on Mary-Sues!  Great, I now have a full understanding ^_^  Thanks guys!

**Lil Lupin – **What?  The doctors won't let you have the bouncy walls?  Hhm, I wonder if they'd object to my having a room mate?  Would you mind sharing?  You have to be a non-smoker, that's my only condition.  (And preferably non-snoring.)

**Evil spapple pie – **Yes, it's tragic but true; I have never played golf with a toad. ;(    *cues weepy violin music*   

I have come to the conclusion that Mary-Sues are 'perfect', although 'sickening' is more the word I'd use.  *cringes*  They really _are_ worthy of multiple cringes!  *cringe-cringe-cringe*  I read a quote sometime ago ; _Nobody is perfect, therefore, to wish to be perfect is to wish to be nobody._  

I'm glad you believe that Professor Torr isn't guilty of Mary-Sue-ness.  ^_^

**MorganD** – Well, if Professor Torr is a projection of a part of me then I sincerely hope it's only a very tiny part!  She definitely has some flaws and 'weirdness' though (maybe that bit applies to me!).  All characters need strengths and weaknesses about them, otherwise they just don't seem real.  I hope I've developed Professor Torr's character enough this time round.  You'll have to let me know at the end of the fic if it's an improvement or not.

**Christy **– I've had that problem before; silly rebellious computers.   Haven't had a problem with them for a while now – usually it's just the hassle of getting other people off the computer when I need it! *glares meaningfully at little brother* ****


	10. Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter Ten; Calm Before The Storm**

****

'Isn't this sort of risky?' Ron asked as they entered the village. 'I mean, if someone recognises either of them ...' He left the sentence hanging.

Harry was having similar worrying thoughts. As much as he loved and admired his godfather, Harry couldn't help but feel that Sirius was taking too high a risk staying close to Hogsmeade. If any of the villagers or students saw Sirius, he was quite likely to be captured or killed on sight.

Harry feared that Remus would have a similar reception. Werewolves were not often met with open arms and welcomed in the wizarding world. Would any of the villagers recognise him from teaching at Hogwarts a few years ago?

Hermione was a good deal calmer than the boys. She constantly reminded them that Sirius and Remus were both fully qualified wizards and certainly not stupid enough to enter the village without making some sort of effort to disguise themselves.

It was the morning of the long awaited Hogsmeade visit. Remus had sent a note informing the three of them that he and Sirius would meet them in the Three Broomsticks pub. 

The village pub was often full with Hogwarts students, local villagers and assorted tourists, even in the winter months. You could usually find a wide variety of dwarfs, goblins, hags, warlocks and plenty of other beings in the crowd. But how, in a crowd like that, were you supposed to find one werewolf and one wanted criminal Animagus, both of whom were likely to be in disguise? 

They went to Honeydukes first so that Harry could settle his bet with Ron and for the sake of buying enough chocolate to last them until Christmas. 

Hermione then insisted on going to the post office so she could send a letter to Viktor. While Hermione paid for the owl, Harry stared out of the window to the pub down the street. Impatiently he checked his watch. It was nearly ten. 

Once outside he casually suggested going to The Three Broomsticks for Butterbeers. Ron and Hermione weren't fooled; he just wanted to see his godfather as soon as possible. 

Upon entering The Three Broomsticks they discovered that a larger crowd than normal had gathered, forcing them to squeeze very slowly and carefully through the throng, saying 'excuse me' and 'pardon me, coming through' every five seconds. They finally made it to the bar and ordered some Butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta, the landlady.

'Why is it so crowded in here?' Ron said, looking around the room. 'Is there free chocolate no one told us about?'

Madam Rosmerta chuckled.

'No freebies I'm afraid,' she said, reaching under the bar for some clean tankards. 'Just a bit of entertainment. You might like to stay awhile, it'll start again in a moment.'

No sooner where the words out of her mouth that a round of applause broke out. Most of the pubs customers where now focusing their attention on a young man of about twenty years old, dressed in forest-green robes, who was seated on a stool in the bay of the pub windows.

Silence fell as he raised a flute to his lips and began to play.

It was the most beautiful piece of music Harry had ever heard. Soft and haunting, the scale of notes rose and fell gently and smoothly. No one made a sound. A sense of calm washed over the captive audience, every one of them perfectly still, a look of dreamy contentment on their faces.

Harry felt very relaxed, a smile settling on his face as the music filled his ears. It sounded oddly familiar.

The sound of the flute was having a soothing and uplifting effect on everyone. All eyes were on the young musician who kept his own eyes closed, intently focused on his playing and nothing else.

Harry suddenly recalled where he'd heard a very similar piece of music. He had only ever heard it twice before in his life; the eerie and beautiful song of the phoenix.

The musician was skilfully echoing Harry's memories of the wondrous sound. Although not perfect, there was an incredible parallel within the melody.

As the final note shimmered through the air, the spell on the crowd broke and they applauded with delight. The musician seemed to come back to himself suddenly, as if he'd only just realised where he was. He opened his eyes, revealing a pair of bright blue irises. Scanning the room, his gaze flicked over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing. A small smile passed over his face before he turned his attention back to his instrument.

As the new song filled the room Harry was struck by a sudden thought; a realisation that he knew the wizard. Harry grinned. Bella had been right. The show of talent was what gave him away.

After the music had come to an end, the young musician politely excused himself as the crowd applauded once more. He slipped through the crowd and approached the bar. He passed Harry by without looking at him and ordered a Butterbeer. Madam Rosmerta gave him a dazzling smile, complimenting his performance. He smiled embarrassedly, thanked her, turned and promptly bumped into Harry.

'Oh, I'm very sorry,' he said, 'Didn't see you there.' 

He smiled and jerked his head slightly towards the back of the pub. Next moment, he'd disappeared into the crowd.

Harry waited a few seconds, gestured to the others and followed. Hermione and Ron exchanged clueless looks before hurrying after him.

As if to confirm Harry's suspicions of the musician's identity, a large black dog emerged from under one of the tables at the very back of the pub. The man sat down, put his flute away in its case, fed the dog a piece of chocolate and glanced expectantly over at Harry.

Harry smiled and sat down opposite the musician. Ron and Hermione followed suit, a little thrown by his actions; until they noticed the large dog lying at the musician's feet.

'Hi, Remus,' said Harry quietly. 'Hey, Snuffles,' he patted the dog which sat up and laid its head on Harry's lap.

Ron's eyes widened. 'Cool! We didn't even recognise you!'

'That would be the point of a disguise, Ron,' said Hermione, rolling her eyes, but she was visibly impressed. 'What did you use? Polyjuice potion?'

Remus shook his head.

'No, just some Alteration Charms. They'll wear off in about an hour I'm afraid, so we don't have long.'

'But – ' Harry began, but he broke off as Madam Rosmerta appeared with their Butterbeers.

'So are you two staying here at the inn?' asked Hermione, once Madam Rosmerta had returned to the bar.

'Yes, Dumbledore kindly made some arrangements with Rosmerta. So long as we can contribute something to the running of the inn, she's quite happy to have us here for as long as necessary.' He took a drink from his tankard and continued. 'And in case I'm needed elsewhere, Rosie has offered to 'pet-sit'.'

The dog gave a low bark, wagging his tail.

'Does she know … um … about Snuffles?' asked Harry.

'She does,' said Remus, smiling reassuringly. 'She was quite relieved to learn the truth from Dumbledore. She knows how important it is to keep quiet about this so I wouldn't worry about that, Harry.'

'Okay, but I really need to talk to Snuffles,' he said firmly. He looked down at the dog. 'It's sort of important.'

Sirius looked up at him, then at Remus. Remus raised an eyebrow. 'What's happened?' Sirius gave a low but impatient bark. 'Okay then, let's go somewhere less crowded.' Remus amended cautiously. 'Walls have ears.' 

Casually, the group finished their drinks as quickly as possible and then left the pub. Sirius was kept on a collar and lead to avoid the attention of any villagers who might object to a stray dog wandering the streets. They made their way up the hill and Remus stopped just outside the Shrieking Shack.

Ron looked apprehensive.

'Please, don't tell me we're going in there!'

Remus smiled. 'Do you happen to know of a better place for a private conversation, Ron? If so, please let me know.'

Ron huffed and followed the group as they made their way through the rusted old gate, up the weed and moss covered path to the old derelict building. After a moment, Ron spoke up again. 'How are we supposed to get inside? My brothers have tried loads of times and never found an entrance.'

Sirius barked and gestured towards the Shack with his muzzle.

Ron glowered at him. 

'What's _that_ supposed to mean?'

'That your brothers probably didn't think to try the front door like normal people.' said Remus with a sly smile that just confused Ron even more.

Harry looked to the front of the house and couldn't help but point out the obvious. The front door was barely visible behind a dense growth of thick vines covered with some nasty looking thorns. The same went for the front windows that weren't boarded up. Remus didn't seem to think it was a problem. He stepped up onto the porch and pulled out his wand. With a sweep of his hand, the vines covering the wall to the left of the door drew back, exposing the brickwork. Harry would have mentioned that the front door was right beside them, when he realised that that door was probably a fake. You wouldn't want a werewolf to be able to knock a door off its hinges and escape, so why give it a door to knock down in the first place?

Sirius kept his back to them, watching the road, ready to warn them if anyone came near enough to see what they were doing.

With practised ease, Remus used his wand to draw a large circle onto the wall and tapped the centre of it sharply.

_'Creare Portala!'_

The edges of the circle glowed electric blue and the wall within the circle suddenly vanished.

Remus stepped back. 'Ladies first.' he said politely, offering a hand to Hermione, which she took and he helped her through the open portal. Ron scrambled through, followed by Harry and Remus. Sirius took a running leap and jumped through the hole as it closed sharply behind him.

The hallway was dark and thick with dust. Sirius bounded up the creaking, rickety staircase, leaving a trail of paw-prints in the grey dust. In silence, the others followed. Sirius led them into one of the bedrooms and transformed back into human form as they caught up.

He didn't waste any time with pleasantries.

'What's so urgent, Harry? Has something happened?'

Harry opened his mouth to speak but felt extremely awkward all of a sudden. He had been waiting ages to talk to his godfather and now he had the chance, he wasn't sure what to say.

Hermione and Ron couldn't help him out. They hung back, waiting for Harry to speak first. Remus was watching him, looking concerned.

Where to start?

Harry reached a hand down his neck and pulled out the talisman.

'I wanted to know a bit more about this,' he said carefully. 'Like where you got it from.'

Sirius looked a little confused but answered the question anyway.

'From a friend of ours – you know Arabella Figg, don't you?'

Harry nodded.

'She's been working on this talisman since the end of June. She only finished it a few weeks ago which is why you didn't get it sooner. Arabella's an artisan of protective devices such as talismans, amulets, charms –'

'What about rings?' Harry asked.

An odd expression flicked over Sirius' face.

'Rings?'

'Is it possible to do the same with a ring?'

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look.

'Yes,' said Sirius slowly. 'Why do you ask?'

Harry took a deep breath.

'Do either of you know a Professor Torr? Because I've seen her wearing a ring that looks exactly like this talisman you gave me.'

Sirius and Remus glanced at each other, and unless Harry was very much mistaken, he noticed that Remus was giving his friend a pointed 'I told you so' kind of look. Sirius' face appeared to darken slightly but Harry dismissed it as a trick of the light as his godfather turned back to him with a reassuring smile.

'Harry, Professor Dumbledore has informed the Hogwarts staff about me. They needed to learn the truth sooner rather than later, now that the Dark Lord has returned. Granted, some didn't take it very well –'

'Three guesses who,' muttered Ron from behind Harry.

'But they all trust Dumbledore to know what he's doing so no one is likely to start screaming for the Ministry if I'm summoned into the castle. Not that that makes any difference to Snape's low opinion of me, but then I was hardly expecting a miracle.' He allowed himself a grim smile. 'Professor Torr took it really well and kindly offered her assistance. She made the initial suggestion of the talisman to help protect you, and between Dumbledore, Remus, Arabella and I, that is one powerful object. I don't doubt it's proficiency for a minute.'

Sirius' dark eyes held Harry's gaze, a sense of fear and grave concern somehow making itself very apparent to Harry.

'We're taking every precaution possible to keep you safe from Voldemort – you're undeniably his main target. No one has ever escaped from him alive and you've accomplished that four times. Apart from giving his followers a reason to cast doubts on the true extent of his powers, I'd say he's royally pissed off and has murdering you as his top priority.'

'But what about the ring?' asked Harry, returning to his original query.

'Professor Torr requested that a counterpart to the talisman be made in the form of a ring. They are bound together with a tracking spell. If the talisman reacts to danger, it will send a distress signal to Professor Torr instantly so that way she will be able to Apparate to your location immediately and help you. Does that answer your question?'

Harry hesitated. He knew he ought to feel grateful at the very least for everyone's concern about him, so he felt a nasty squirm of guilt as he cautiously asked, 'Sirius, are you sure – I mean … how can we be sure that we can trust her?'

Sirius frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly.

'Harry, I've met with Professor Torr,' he said sternly. 'and I find her to be a very sincere and honest young woman. She's already assisting in fortifying the wards on the castle with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. I see no reason not to trust her.'

'Apart from the fact that I don't even know her,' said Harry. 'It's just that … after last year … Dumbledore trusted Professor Moody and he – he turned out to be …' 

Harry really didn't want to finish that sentence; in any case, Sirius interrupted him.

'Harry, don't say things like that,' he snapped, so sharply that everyone in the room stared at him in surprise. 'What happened last year isn't relevant; I don't want you thinking that Professor Torr is someone we can't rely on. She's made it _very_ clear that she's on our side.'

Harry took a small step backwards, rather taken aback. What had he said wrong to make his godfather angry?

'I – I just thought –'

'I think it's very unfair of you to pass judgement on someone you don't even know-'

_'Padfoot,'_ Remus was staring at Sirius, clearly shocked at his friends' reaction. 'I think that would be Harry's point. He _doesn't _know Professor Torr. I don't blame him for being cautious; in fact I'd be glad of it. We can't be too careful these days but there is no need to get worked up about it,' he said evenly. 'I'm sure Harry didn't mean to imply that Professor Torr can't be trusted.'

Sirius blinked slowly, his gaze wandering, slowly moving back to Harry's crestfallen face, a child-like confusion in his emerald eyes. Taking a shaky breath, Sirius raised a hand to his head, rubbing it absentmindedly.

'I'm sorry,' he said, his voice carrying none of its previous anger. 'I - I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately.'

Harry, still a little unnerved, nodded slowly, graciously decided to let the outburst slide. On closer inspection Sirius did appear more strained that when Harry had seen him last. Sirius closed his eyes, wincing a little.

'Sirius, are you okay?' asked Harry tentatively.

'What?' Sirius glanced up, his expression vague. 'Oh, it's just a headache,' he said. 'I'm fine.'

Not sure if Sirius was being completely truthful, Harry decided to just drop the subject, tucking the glittering talisman away down the front of his robes.

In an attempt to ease the atmosphere a little, Hermione brought up their next concern with their former professor, who had just transformed back into his normal form now that the Charms had worn off.

'Professor Lupin - er, Remus,' she amended awkwardly, 'we've been wondering what's been going on since the Dark Lord returned. The Daily Prophet hasn't reported anything and we'd appreciate knowing what's going on.'

'Wouldn't we all.' said Remus, sombrely. He motioned for the three teenagers to sit. They sat down on the only bed in the room, Harry next to Sirius. Remus leant against the wall and looked out of the murky window. 

'The reason why nothing has been reported is because nothing has happened.' said Remus. 

Silence.

'What? Nothing?' said Ron incredulously at last.

'Not a thing.' Sirius muttered. He looked distracted. 

'Since June, Professor Dumbledore has alerted as many people as possible to the fact that the Dark Lord has returned. Everyone's been tense and nervous, waiting for something to happen. Attacks, murders, disappearances.' Remus shook his head. 'Hasn't happened. Fudge won't admit that He's back and people are starting to doubt whether Voldemort has returned at all. They seem to want proof, so unless something happens soon, they won't believe it.'

Harry stared in utter disbelief. 'They want proof? Why?'

'People believe what they can see, Harry.' said Sirius. 'If there were attacks and the Daily Prophet reported them, then people would take notice, they'd listen and prepare themselves.'

'Those that do believe that Voldemort is back, are doing what they can, your parents included, Ron.' 

Ron swelled slightly out of pride, yet he also looked really worried. 

'It's far too quiet,' Sirius said, pacing the room. 'Something should have happened by now. Why has he gone back into hiding all of a sudden?'

Remus shifted uncomfortably. 'Well, I hate to say this ... but maybe he hasn't.'

'What do you mean, Moony?' 

'I think he's just giving the illusion that nothing's happened. Voldemort's got something planned, he's just not letting on just yet.'

'So, the Death Eaters are laying low for the time being?' Hermione added, half hopeful, half nervous.

'I should think so,' Remus said. 'If they stay hidden long enough ...'

'The community will let its guard down.' Sirius finished grimly.

They didn't have to say anymore. It was very clear. The moment everyone ceased to be vigilant, the Dark Lord would strike.

'During the first war, a quiet spell was always a bad sign,' said Remus softly, his eyes reflecting the memories of the hardships of the war that he and Sirius had lived through not so long ago. 'Something was going to happen and we knew it wasn't going to be pleasant; no point trying to pretend otherwise. We knew it was coming, it was a question of where, when and how much damage would be caused … how many lives lost.'

Harry's stomach dropped unpleasantly. 'But where would they attack first?' he asked. 

Remus thought it over. 'Well, the Ministry in London is the most likely place. If they fall, then it's really only a matter of time before the rest of England falls as well.'

'What about Hogwarts?' Harry persisted. 

'As long as Dumbledore's there, I doubt that Voldemort would dare try and take the school. It's too well protected against attacks so don't worry, you'll be safe there.' Sirius gave Harry a reassuring hug. Harry returned it only half-heartedly. 

'You'd all best be getting back to the castle,' said Remus. 'Try to stay out of trouble, won't you?' he added, looking pacifically at Harry.

'You come and find us at the Three Broomsticks if you need us. Rosmerta let us charm the door for access.' said Sirius. 'Room 5, password's 'cervus', but try to keep it to actual emergencies, alright? I'm sure you can cope with Transfiguration homework without my help.'

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review._**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*****

**Authors Notes**

**Christy – **Well, Harry can't be great at everything, can he?  Plus I wanted to show Ron doing well at something for a change.  ^_^****

**Elbereth94 – **That sentence made perfect sense to me and thank you very much for saying so.  Some praise really has to be bestowed to my lovely Beta Lil Lupin, she's positively worked magic with my silly mistakes!  And I'm on your fav list?  Ooh, thanks!  Hunky dory, I've always thought that was a very weird phrase but in a good way.  ****

**Lil Lupin – **I'm in room I-19  on the third floor.  (The 'I' stands for 'Insanity level', of course)  You get all sorts of people on this floor; Professor Lockhart is just down the corridor!  He's not a bad housemate but do make sure you get to the bathroom before he does; he won't stay away from the mirror and he leaves toothpaste all over the sink!  Grrr!  By the way, if you _do_ snore, I will tip the bed so that you roll out the window.  ^_^

**Von** – Screamingly agonised, huh?  *evil cackle*  Yes, it _is_ a completed fic, all the chapters are ready for posting, but I have no intention of posting more than two a week.  Tuesdays and Fridays, and that's it!  See, I fully intend to post regularly, that please you?  Okay, I do love getting reviews, what author doesn't??

**Evil spapple pie** – You have my sympathy.  Homework is horrible, isn't it?  If I may make a suggestion?  Never, _ever_ take your eyes off it; homework has a nasty habit of multiplying when people aren't looking.  At least mine did, when I had it.

**MorganD **– Yep, re-named the snake to Neonate, which is actually the correct term for a baby snake, did you know?  It just sounded more appropriate.  I had to seriously re-think the whole amulet/ring thing after you wrote to me, but everything makes more sense now, I'm pleased to say.  ^_^

**Evol norgara** – Welcome back!  I'm glad I don't have any Mary Sues either!  I can't say I hate them, but they do sound extremely dull so if I'll avoid them where possible.  Sorry, but there aren't any words that rhyme with 'orange'.  Not in the English language anyway.  Maybe there's a French word.  Spanish?  German?  Latin perhaps?  There _must_ be one somewhere!  Don't bother looking up the French word for orange, it's exactly the same!  Hey, maybe if you just pronounced it with a French accent, would that count?  Great, that's going to bug me all weekend …


	11. Quidditch Qualms

**Chapter Eleven; Quidditch Qualms**

****

With the Quidditch season fast approaching, Harry gladly turned his attention to the coming trials. Madam Hooch had granted him permission to use the pitch and reminded Harry that Professor Torr would most likely want to oversee the selection of the new members. 

Despite his initial reluctance, Harry knew that if Sirius was willing to trust Professor Torr, then the least Harry could do was to try and do the same. After all, she was involved in the war effort and assisting Sirius in keeping him safe. Anyway, what with the Dark Lord lying low for the time being, Professor Torr's priority was surely focused on Quidditch - as was Harry's.

Saturday morning arrived clear and bright. Harry smiled to himself as he headed off to the pitch just after breakfast, imagining what Oliver Wood would say about his 'star player' taking his place as captain. Knowing that the responsibility of the team was now on Harry's shoulders, he could only hope that he would be lucky enough to find someone who would make a decent replacement for Wood. 

As he strode into the stadium, his scarlet robes fluttering in the light breeze, Harry resolved to try his best; he would make Wood proud. More to the point, he wanted to make Sirius proud.

Clutching his Firebolt firmly, Harry walked out onto the pitch. The rest of the team was already seated in the stands waiting for him. Harry had asked them to help him in selecting the new members since they all much more experience of these trials than he did. After all, Harry had been accepted straight onto the team after Professor McGonagall had caught him performing a flawless dive, catching Neville's Remembrall during his very first flying lesson.

Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch were also present; organising the team's hopefuls into two groups, depending on which position they were trying for.

Ron was in the Keeper group with seven others from different year groups. He looked rather nervous but determined, gripping his broomstick tightly.

Harry noticed, with some trepidation, that Colin Creevey and his little brother Dennis, were both in the Chaser group. The instant they saw Harry enter the stadium, they looked as though they were going to burst something they were so excited. Harry avoided meeting their eyes, focusing instead on the huge apparatus that now dominated the pitch.

It looked like an airborne obstacle course; large glittering hoops floated high over head, a forest of narrow weave poles were spinning round and round in the centre, and a huge purple foam-like tube was snaking through the air. Most of the Gryffindors were eyeing it apprehensively.

'Ah, Potter, good, you're here,' said Professor McGonagall briskly. She beckoned him over. 'I trust we'll have a fair trial today, Potter. Madam Hooch and I are here to supervise, not impose on the team's final decision. Although I shall be heartily disappointed if they aren't up to scratch.'

Harry nodded and assured her that she needn't worry. Their first match was to be against Hufflepuff; no problem. Gryffindor had only ever lost one game to Hufflepuff -

Harry felt a sudden twisting in his gut. Cedric Diggory had been Hufflepuff's captain and Seeker. Maybe it was a mistake to assume that they would be an easy team to beat. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, knowing that some people still resented Harry, perhaps believing that Harry had something to do with Cedric's death - that it should have been Harry.

Harry was glad to be jerked out of his revive by Professor McGonagall once more.

'Potter, you are aware that Professor Torr will be watching the trial?'

'What? Oh, yes, Professor.'

Harry looked up into the stands. Professor Torr, dressed in pale cherry coloured robes with her long dark hair pinned back, was sitting with regal grace a few rows behind the Gryffindor team. She was looking up at the trial course with only mild interest.

'She's a hard one to please, Potter, so may I suggest you don't let yourself down?' Professor McGonagall smiled fondly at him. 'Good luck.'

'Thank you, Professor,' said Harry, and he walked over to his team mates. Fred, George and Alicia were discussing the assembled students. By the looks on their faces, they too had just recognised the Creevey brothers. Katie held up a scroll of parchment as Harry approached.

'Good morning, Captain,' she said smartly, handing him the parchment and a quill. 'Scores out of ten for each exercise, you set the pace, okay?'

Harry took a deep breath and scanned the list. There were seventeen students in all.

'There's no need to look so worried, Harry,' said Alicia soothingly. 'You'll be fine. Just take your time.' And she handed him a bright purple megaphone with a confident smile.

So the trials began.

Starting with the Chasers, Harry soon had the group flying laps round the perimeter of the pitch, Alicia and Katie pointing out the potentials.

'Natalie's got good balance but I don't know if she can cope with higher speeds than what she's doing now.' said Alicia, pointing out a second year making her way steadily round the goal hoops. 'Now that boy over there, what's his name ... Danny? He's fast ... great balance ... I think he's in with a chance.'

Harry ran his quill down the list, searching for the names and marking a score beside them.

'Erm … is it okay to eliminate people straight after the first trail?' asked Harry hesitantly.

The team followed his gaze, watching in dismay as the Creevey brothers narrowly missed wrapping their brooms around the goal posts. Neither of them seemed comfortable being so high up in the air. They kept dropping lower then gradually forcing their way back up, wobbling precariously. Not to mention that both of them were constantly craning their necks, trying to keep their eyes on Harry. Personally, Harry felt that Colin and Dennis would be more focused on watching him than actually playing Quidditch.

Alicia bit her lip.

'Well …' she said slowly. 'Maybe we ought to give them a chance at the obstacle course at least …'

The purpose of the obstacle course was to determine how well the student could manoeuvre in the air. As it turned out, letting the Creeveys fly through it was a big mistake. They didn't fly so much as crash. Colin missed more than half the hoops, smacked into nearly all of the weave poles and, when he finally made it to the tunnel, hit every corner, the tunnel bulging as he got himself stuck in the bends. At long last, he emerged from the other end, his robes dishevelled but still with a beaming smile as he returned to the ground.

Katie sat with all her fingers crossed in her lap as Dennis eagerly rocketed up into the air. Dennis managed to get through a few of the hoops but slowed right down when he reached the weave poles, so much so that a butterfly could have flown through them faster. The clincher was Dennis getting himself lost in the tunnel. After two minutes of struggling to find his way back out, George had to fly up to help him out.

Harry put a hand over his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. Fred pulled the parchment out of his hand and scribbled 'No way!!' over Colin and Dennis' names. Nodding in silent agreement, the Gryffindor team looked hopefully, almost pleadingly, at the remaining seven candidates.

They weren't disappointed.

'See? We _do_ have talent in this House,' said Fred, very much relieved as they watched a fourth year girl swoop through the rings which glowed scarlet as she passed.

Indeed, the rest of the Chaser hopefuls were quite impressive. Harry was hard pushed to mark any of them lower than a seven.

Calling all of them back to earth, the process was repeated with the Keeper group. Ron flew swiftly round the pitch, racing the others. Only two of the group gave Harry cause for concern; one sixth year girl who was meandering aimlessly, almost hitting several of the others, and a blond third year boy that was blatantly showing off unnecessarily, deliberately cutting in front of the others and trying to fly without holding onto his broom.

'Now that's just an accident waiting to happen,' said Alicia as the boy took both hands off the handle. 'Sorry, Harry, but I'd mark him down for that.'

'Right,' said Harry firmly, putting a five next to the boy's name.

'Ron's doing really well,' said Katie, pointing up at the redhead.

Harry paused, quill suspended over Ron's score box, watching his friend fly overhead. _Impartial judgement … impartial judgement …_

'That's at least an eight,' said Alicia. 'Wouldn't you say so, Harry?'

Biting his lip, Harry nodded, slowly wrote an '8' next to Ron's name.

The obstacle course came next. Joanne, a pretty blond second year, shot through each of the hoops in turn, leaving a blazing trail of scarlet light in her wake. The weave poles posed no problem, and when she emerged from the far end of the tunnel, the stands rang with applause.

Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch were clearly impressed, conversing in low voices, clapping politely. Harry glanced at Professor Torr who was seated above them. She was applauding too, although rather unenthusiastically, eyes sweeping over the rest of the students waiting their turn.

By the time Ron was called forward, he was looking rather ill. Kicking off from the ground, he rose swiftly, heading for the first of the rings. Leaning forward, he dove through the centre and dived for the next. One by one, the rings lit up as Ron shot through. As he passed the last one, Harry let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

Without slowing down, Ron weaved skilfully through the weave poles, not touching a single one.

'Looking good,' said Fred gleefully. 'Knew he'd learn something from us.'

'And to think he actually complained about our helping him.' said George.

'I think that may have been the mushy apples that he was objecting to,' said Harry, watching as Ron flew at full speed into the tunnel mouth. So far, no one had made it through without hitting the sides.

'Anyone else voting for full marks?' asked Katie in a dazed voice as Ron flew out of the tunnel to a huge round of applause.

The Keeper group returned to the stands, all looking very pleased with themselves as the Chasers were called out again.

The scarlet Quaffle was released and they were now instructed to throw and catch it, flying as fast they could up and down the pitch.

The exercise continued smoothly, Alicia and Katie scrutinising each student in turn. Fred and George then seized their brooms and took to the air as Madam Hooch released the Bludgers. Harry slowly worked his way down the list, marking scores and trying to short list the candidates down to three before turning his attention back to the Keepers.

One by one, each of them was called up to defend the goal hoops while the Chasers attempted to score.

A fourth year boy let in more goals than he could save and a sixth year girl kept dropping the Quaffle when she did manage to catch it.  Harry grimaced as he watched each student in turn, not having much success at all.  Oliver Wood had made it look so easy.

Finally it was Ron's turn.  Harry was thrilled to see him save the first two goals, although he missed the third, not being able to turn his broom fast enough.

'What do you think, Harry?' asked Katie, as they watched Ron snatch the Quaffle out of the air again.  'Ron has done better than most so far.'

'Yeah, but … erm …'  Harry trailed off.

'But what?' asked Alicia.

'Well, Ron is my best friend and …um …'

'You're worried that people will think its favouritism?' said Katie, eyebrows raised.

'Sort of,' mumbled Harry, glancing down at the score sheet.  There were one or two other students who could be offered the position; all their scores were pretty close.

'Harry,' said Katie sternly.   'As captain of the team, _you_ are the one who has to decide which of the candidates will be the best team player – and if you honesty believe that Ron is the best choice then go for it!  We won't argue with you if we think it's a good decision.'

'Besides, if anyone does claim it's because he's your friend then they aren't worth listening to,' added Alicia. 

'And not worth having on the team.'

Harry was glad that they felt that way and called everyone together.  Fred and George flew back down to Katie, Alicia and Harry to confer.

'Any ideas on the Chasers?' George asked, wiping sweat off his brow. 'Cause I think Chris is our best bet.'

'Have to agree there,' said Alicia, smiling. 'He's quick, co-ordinated and he pays attention to what everyone else is doing.'

It certainly didn't take long for the team to agree on Chris Butler as their new Chaser.  Harry glanced over at Ron who was watching them nervously, fidgeting with his broomstick. Harry listened to each team member's opinion first, considered his own opinion and made his choice.

Harry stood up and cleared his throat. Each of the students stood in silence, waiting nervously.

'First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming to this tryout session.' He had to stop there for a moment as the students applauded him politely. Ron caught his eye, but Harry looked away sharply.

'Unfortunately, there are only two available places on the team.  You have all done really well and it was a hard decision trying to chose between you all.  However, in addition to our two new members, we have decided to select a reserve player for each position.'  Harry consulted his parchment.  'The reserve Chaser will be Paul Sanders and the reserve Keeper will be Joanne Plumridge.'

Everyone applauded politely.  Both Paul and Joanne looked very pleased, Joanne smiling shyly.

The remaining students gazed up at Harry hopefully, waiting.  

'But our two new members are … for the Chaser position … Christopher Butler.'

Chris grinned broadly as the rest of the group clapped and cheered.  Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch nodded approvingly from their place in the stands.  

Taking a deep breath, Harry turned to the Keeper group, still avoiding eye contact with Ron who was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

'And finally, for the Keeper position … Ron Weasley.'

Ron froze and stared in disbelief as everyone else cheered and offered him their congratulations.  Fred and George wasted no time in going to Ron and thumping him hard on the back.

'Knew you could do it, little bro!'

'Fred, quit it!' Ron yelled as Fred grabbed him in a one armed hug, ruffling his hair.

'Oh, is we embarrassing you, Ronnikins?'

'Shut up, George!'

Harry couldn't help grinning at the look of amazement and pride on his friends face.

Katie stood up and clapped her hands loudly.

'Can I have everyone's attention please?  As a thank you for taking part in the trials today you are all invited to join us in a practise match.  If we could have everyone spilt themselves up ..'

In next to no time, fourteen of the students were back up in the air.  The remaining students politely declined the offer, some returning to the castle while the rest sat in the stands.  Thankfully, Colin and Dennis seemed perfectly happy to stay on the ground, armed with Colin's camera.

Down below, Harry could see Professor Torr watching.  She still didn't seem particularly interested; an almost bored expression on her glum face, as she watched Ron dive for the Quaffle and throw it back out to Chris.

A speck of gold suddenly flashed in the sun.  Harry grasped the Firebolt's handle tightly, lent forward and went into a steep dive.  Eyes on the Snitch, Harry dove through the opposing team's Chasers, hurtling towards the ground.  The Snitch didn't have time to turn before Harry caught up with it and seized it, pulling his broom up quickly, skimming over the pitch, his feet mere inches from the grass.  

A cheer went up from the rest of the team, but it abruptly changed to startled cries and shouts.  Harry looked up just in time to see Gerald Hornstun, crash into Lucinda Beachwood so forcibly that she overbalanced and slipped right over on her broom.  Clinging desperately to the handle with her feet and hands, poor Lucinda was left hanging upside down while Gerald stole the Quaffle and hurled it at the goal hoops.  Ron didn't bother blocking it.  Instead he flew out to Lucinda to help her, as did a number of others.  

Madam Hooch's furious voice cried out, 'Mr Hornstun!  Get down here, now!'

The game abruptly finished, all the players returned to the pitch.  Ron and Joanne guiding Lucinda down, with Katie and Alicia beside them.  Lucinda shakily dismounted her broom.

Professor McGonagall swept over to her and took her away to the Hospital Wing to be checked over, calling over her shoulder that she wanted to see Gerald in her office immediately.

Bitterly Gerald glared at the other students, allowing himself to be led away by Madam Hooch.

Alicia watched him go, absolutely disgusted.

'I knew he was trouble,' she said.  'Flying around like a maniac.  I bet he's jealous that he didn't make the cut.'

'How did _he _get into Gryffindor?' muttered Fred darkly.  'Little git would be better off in Slytherin.'

'Well, that _was_ exciting, wasn't it?' said a voice.

Professor Torr had finally left her place in the stands to come onto the pitch. She smiled round at them all, suddenly a lot more interested.

'I can see a lot of talent here, you girls were fabulous,' she said, smiling sweetly at Katie and Alicia who both seemed to come over rather embarrassed, blushing and hiding their grins.  'Three Weasley's on the team, now?  Talent must surely run in the family – I simply can't wait to for the first match.  You've done wonderfully today,' she added to the others.  'But let's hope that no one else resorts to Flacking their opponents like that.  There's a reason why it's called a foul – I don't like it and I won't tolerate it.  You play fair or you don't play at all.'

Everyone around her nodded vigorously in agreement.

'Would you like us to resume play, professor?' asked George, eagerly, holding up his broom, preparing to mount it again.

'I'm afraid not, Mr Weasley,' sighed Professor Torr.  The Gryffindors' faces fell in disappointment.  'I have to prepare my classes for next week.'  She turned and left the stadium.

'I think that's enough for today,' said Katie.  'Harry?'

Mutely, Harry nodded and set off for the changing rooms.  He hurried back up to the castle and put his robes and broomstick away in his dormitory.  Opening his trunk, Harry rummaged through his things, searching.  Pulling out a small thin book, he sped off to the library.

Hermione was seated at one of the large worktables, her Arithmancy homework strewn across it.  She looked up and smiled.

'Hi Harry.  How did the trials go?  Did Ron do okay?  Where is he?'

'Hi,' said Harry shortly, sitting down opposite her and opening his book, flipping through the pages.  'Ron did great.  He's the new Keeper.'

'Really?' Hermione squeaked.  'That's wonderful!'  But then her face fell.  'Harry?  What's the matter?'

'This,' said Harry grimly, holding out the book.

Hermione took it, turned it over to read the cover; '_Quidditch Through The Ages' by Kennilworthy Whisp_, and flipped it back over to look at the open page.  In the bottom right hand corner was a table of Quidditch fouls, their correct terms and brief description.

'Hermione, if someone deliberately flies into another player, which of those fouls would apply?' asked Harry.

Hermione, giving a Harry a very puzzled look, slowly skimmed the list.

'Well, there's Blatching here, that one sounds about right.'

'Not Flacking, then?' said Harry quickly.

'No … no, that's listed as a Keeper foul – knocking the Quaffle back through the goal hoop from behind.'

'They're all pretty basic for Quidditch terminology, wouldn't you say?' said Harry pointing to the list.

'Yes – '

'Something that a professional wouldn't think twice about referring to?'

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

'Harry, what _is _the matter?  You don't need me to tell you this, you already know it back to front.'

'But why doesn't Professor Torr know it?'

'What do you mean, she doesn't?  She's a professional – '

'I know that's what everyone says about her, but then why is it that she confuses such basic terms?  Not something a professional is likely to do.'

'Harry, slow down,' said Hermione.  Gathering her homework up, she slid her essay, books and notes back into her bag.  Swigging it onto her shoulder, she led Harry to the rear of the library, among the History of Magic books.   Certainly that no one was close enough to hear them, Hermione asked Harry to explain what was troubling him.

Hermione listened thoughtfully and admitted that it did seem very careless to confuse Flacking with Blatching.

'I don't like it, Hermione.  I mean, call me paranoid, I don't care – but after so many of our professors turning out to be something other than what they claim to be – '

'You want to investigate her,' said Hermione, flatly.

'Yes,'

Hermione's gaze dropped to the floor.

'I guess with the Dark Lord's return, we can't be too careful.'

'Which is what Remus and Siri – Snuffles told us,' he hastily corrected himself, lowering his voice.

'But Harry, I sincerely doubt that a snobbish attitude and a slip of the tongue automatically points to Death Eater,' she said bracingly.  'But, on the other hand, I agree with you.  We can't be too careful.'

Harry smiled, grimly relieved.  'So you'll help me?'

'Of course.  But first, let's find Ron, I want to congratulate him!'

Looking embarrassed at her eagerness Hermione blushed, Harry struggling to hide a smile as they left the library to look for their friend.

*****

**To Be Continued**

*

**Authors Notes**

Blimey, this section is getting longer every time I write it!  Very cool.  Thanks for coming back again and again you guys!  *Voltora sits with a silly but happy grin on her face all day long*

**Elbereth94 **– I'm really enjoying leaving these replies.  I got the idea from another author and mainly because it shows that the author is grateful for people leaving reviews – which I really am! :)   Ooh, I really have to restrain myself from blabbing about 'what happens next'.  It's just _so _tempting!  *Lil Lupin leans over and claps a hand over Voltora's mouth*    *Voltora mumbles a thank you*

**Lil Lupin - ***evil laugh*  Better yet, we could trim just one side and turn the rest different colours!  Do fuchsia and luminous lime green clash?  With a splash of orange?  One of the doctors is colour-blind so hopefully he won't notice.  Oh, never mind, that was the one you poked in the eye!  Right then, where's Lockhart gone? *rubs hands gleefully*

**Maria – **Ahh, that's sweet!  Thank you!  *blushes Ginny Weasley style*  

**Evol norgara – **You _think_ you've gone mad?  Join the club!  Room for one more at the Funny Farm?  I'll probably see you there!

**Christy **– Yeah, he did sound rather defensive about her.  One out of four isn't great odds, I really agree.  I wonder if J.K.Rowling will ever give them a professor who lasts more than a year.  No wonder people think the position is cursed!  Four and a half months to go until Order of the Phoenix!

**Von** – Hey, sorry to disappoint, but if you are hanging around for the next few chapters I hope you won't feel so let down.  Please be patient.

**MorganD **- *sighs* That _is _annoying!  Silly little mistakes!  But trust me, there are nowhere near as many in this edition as there were in my first one.  

Okay, question 1 – um, for the sake of simplicity I'll say no! ^_^  Hmm, ever wondered where Sirius' clothes go when he transforms?   Hhhm, naked Sirius … *blushes and laughs*

Moving on, question 2; Okay, when I started writing I was working with a vague theory that when they say you can't Apparate on Hogwarts grounds, I assumed that they meant Apparating _across_ the boundaries. So, in theory, it would be possible to Apparate so long as you stayed within the boundaries, for example from Hagrid's hut over to the front doors, ergo P.Torr could Apparate to Harry if they were both on the school grounds.   A bit of a flimsy theory but let's just run with it for now, okay?    

**Evil spapple pie – **Oh the memories of lugging around vast amounts of books in school, urgh, my back aches just thinking about it.  You think Remus playing the flute is cute?  Cool.  I happen to really like flute music and Remus is adorable – *coughs*  All right, I have a good imagination, so what if he's fictional?  I can dream.  *Voltora lapses into a lovely daydream with Remus playing a romantic song on his flute to her*  You can tell I'm single, can't you? ^_^


	12. Halloween Hex

**_Authors Notes_**

_Please note that the song lyrics used in this chapter belong to Madonna's 'Take A Bow'. I lay no claim to them, I am only borrowing them and am obliged to return them when I'm finished._

**Chapter Twelve; Halloween Hex**

To celebrate the initiation of the new Gryffindor Quidditch team members, a party took place in the common room that night.  Fred and George sneaked off to the kitchens and returned with plenty of cakes and drinks.  Filibuster Fireworks were set off and everyone's hopes for the Quidditch cup were mounting, happily anticipating their first match of the season against Hufflepuff.

Harry hung back from the mini celebration party, hovering by the fireplace, thinking hard.  He was glad that Hermione supported his view, that Professor Torr ought to be investigated, but he was at a loss for ideas as to how they could do it. Who could they ask without arousing suspicion?  Where could they look?  

They hadn't told Ron yet, knowing that he wouldn't appreciate them distracting him from his moment in the centre of everyone else's attention.  Presently Ron was being bombarded with Butterbeer bottles and Honeydukes chocolate by the other team members and students.  Hermione was hovering awkwardly by his side, smiling happily though she seemed to be at a loss for something to say to him.

Unfortunately, the most pressing problem was that they didn't seem to have any spare time at all. With their O.W.L exams coming, the fifth years had homework every single night to slog through. Quidditch was also becoming more demanding now that Harry was responsible for organising practise sessions and devising training programs in preparation for their first match.

Harry was also regretting that he'd remembered about making the photo album.  Shortly after the Quidditch trials, Harry had approached Colin to ask for his assistance.  Colin had been rendered unable to speak for several minutes at this request, although he did manage to emit a small squeak that sounded like 'Sure!'  However, this had led to Colin tagging around after him, Ron and Hermione, taking photos at every opportunity. They hadn't really minded at first, choosing each location and posing for the camera, but as the days went by, Colin's perky attitude and constant clicking and flashing of his camera was starting to get on their nerves. Hermione did manage to get rid of him for a few days, insisting that he take lots of photos of the castle and grounds, leaving them to concentrate on their homework in peace.

A week before Halloween, Professor Dumbledore announced over breakfast that there would be a formal dance for the whole school on Halloween night. Harry had a mixed reaction to this news. On one hand, he really hadn't enjoyed the Yule Ball last year, but at least this time he wasn't specifically required to have a dance partner, so there was an immediate improvement.

Then again...

Well ... Harry wasn't exactly sure how he felt about Cho Chang anymore. Cho and Cedric and been seeing each other since the Yule Ball, until ... until Cedric had been murdered. His death had hit everyone hard. Cho, in particular, had been devastated. Harry had glimpsed Cho only a few times in the corridors since then. She seemed to be coping well enough but her eyes still had a haunted look about them. It was obvious that she missed Cedric a lot. Did Cho blame Harry for Cedric's death? That dismal thought had occurred on several occasions and Harry could hardly hold it against her if that was how she felt.

The hassle of the Yule Ball seemed to be weighing on Ron's mind as well and he made it clear that he wasn't bothered with trying to find someone to go with this time. Hermione took the same view, (probably because of Viktor, Harry privately thought) and suggested that the three of them just go together as a group. The vote was unanimous.

So when October 31st arrived, the majority of students eagerly prepared for the dance. Up in the dormitory Harry changed into the same bottle-green dress robes that he'd worn last year. Ron put on some very nice midnight blue robes, which he claimed were sent as a gift from some aunt of his. Harry made no further comment other than saying that they looked good on him. Later, he discreetly thanked Fred and George for doing him that favour.

Hermione met up with them in the common room. She'd altered her pale blue robes slightly by conjuring lots of tiny balls of sparkling white light and weaving them into the fabric. Her bushy hair was held back from her face with a fancy jewelled clip. She looked extremely pretty. 

The Great Hall was as stunning as ever, with great clouds of bats swooping overhead, giant pumpkins filled with glowing candles hovering around the many circular tables. An enchanted mist that glowed with its own pale blue-green light swirled around their feet and rose above their heads, giving the Hall a very spooky and mysterious atmosphere.

The mist seemed to remind Harry of something but he couldn't think what it was. He didn't think too much about it however, once the feast appeared.

The food was perfect. The house-elves were really working hard to produce such marvellous dishes and puddings. Hermione was half tempted to leave her pudding, 'It's like a little piece of art, I don't want to spoil it!' But of course, food is made to be eaten, and it wasn't long before all the plates were clear and the music began.

Several tables were magically removed from the centre of the Hall to create a dance floor. Many students moved out onto the dance floor but Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed together, watching from the side. 

Harry scanned the dance floor and spotted Cho. She was dancing with a group of her friends, dressed in very fine oriental patterned robes, her long dark hair was held up with what Harry assumed were chopsticks.

She was beautiful.

Harry was just silently debating with himself as to whether or not he had the guts to ask Cho to dance, when a blinding flash went off in his face.

'Smile, Harry!'

Colin raised his camera and took another photo. Harry raised a hand to shield his eyes, blinking hard.

'Colin! Do you mind?'

Colin snapped a few more photos, stepping back to include Ron and Hermione in the shots.

Harry was racking his brain for some way to get rid of Colin when a storm of applause broke out. Colin lowered his camera as everyone turned to look.

At the top of the Great Hall, a small stage had appeared, lit up by levitating balls of light, the soft glow illuminating the swirling mist.

A beautiful young woman stepped up onto the stage. Thick, curly dark hair cascaded down her back, almost long enough to sit on. Her ruby-red robes looked so delicate and fragile they gave the impression that one wrong move might tear them to shreds. With catlike grace she stepped up to the microphone, floating at just the right height and specially modified with a Sonorus spell. Light from the nearest Glo-Globe lit up her face and Harry saw who it was.

Professor Torr.

Harry's stomach gave a weird, churning sensation that made him feel quite ill. He couldn't deny that she looked absolutely gorgeous but his initial reaction to her was just too strong to ignore.

The applause died away, a moments silence and then she began to sing.

_'Take a bow,_

_The night is over,_

_This masquerade_

_Is getting older._

_Lights are low,_

_The curtains down,_

_There's no-one here,_

_There's no one in the crowd.'_

Couples on the dance floor swayed gently in time with the music, many more gliding like silent ghosts onto the floor to join them.

_'Say your lines,_

_But do you feel them?_

_Do you mean what you say_

_When there's no one around?_

_Watching you, watching me._

_One lonely star_

_You don't know who you are.'_

Ron leaned forward, tapping Colin on the shoulder.

'Hey, Colin, do me a favour and get some photos of her, will you?' Noticing Harry's sour look he sheepishly added, 'For the album, of course.'

Harry turned away in disgust as Colin scampered away and bumped into Hermione as he passed. But she hardly seemed to notice him. She was focused on Professor Torr, but not with the same spellbound gaze like most people, Hermione looked thoughtful ... questioning ... as if she were studying something.

_'I've always been in love with you,_

_I guess you've always known it's true.'_

'Hermione?' asked Harry.

'Hmm?' 

She looked around as if snapping out of a trance.

'You alright?'

'What? Oh, yeah, I'm okay.'

She turned back and watched Professor Torr more intently than before.

_'You took my love for granted,_

_Why, oh, why?_

_The show is over, say goodbye._

_Say goodbye, say goodbye.'_

Hermione spun back round so suddenly she was lucky that she didn't overbalance.

'Either of you want to dance?' she asked, though she didn't seem to be directing the question in Harry's direction.

Ron looked deeply confused, as if Hermione had suddenly started speaking in Japanese.

'Dance?' he repeated stupidly. 'As in ... together?'

'Er … yes.' Hermione nodded, smiling nervously at him.

Ron stared blankly at her.

'Okay.' he squeaked.

Hermione grabbed his hand and dragged Ron onto the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd, heading in the direction of the stage.

Harry stared dumbfounded after them.

What had just happened there?

Colin had suddenly materialised beside him again.

'Hiya Harry!' he chirped. 'I got some of Professor Torr ... really good close ups, too ... I'm nearly out of film though.' Harry gave a silent cheer. 'But don't worry Harry! I've got two spare rolls in my pocket!' Harry closed his eyes, groaning silently.

_'Make them laugh,_

_It comes so easy_

_When you get to the part_

_Where you're breaking my heart.'_

Professor Torr's voice filled the entire Hall. It was very strong but it fitted the song perfectly. Strange ... Harry could have sworn that her voice was softer than that ... during lessons she never spoke loudly or shouted, never raised her voice at all. It sounded so different now that Harry thought about it.

_'You deserve an award_

_For the role that you played._

_No more masquerade_

_Your role is done._

_One lonely star-'_

_'AAAAAaaarrrroooo!'_

Professor Torr tripped over the words and stopped as the microphone squealed loudly, the whole Hall went quiet, the music died, the dancing faltered.

'What was _that_?' someone piped up from across the room.

_'OOOOOOOOooooooowwwwww-OOOOOOOooooowwwww!'_

'Well, whatever that is, let's hope it's had lunch!' Fred Weasley called back from the other end. Some people laughed nervously.

Howling. Very close by.

Harry tilted his head back and looked up at the enchanted ceiling. Shining brightly through the mist was the glowing orb of the full moon. Several other people must have done the same.

_'WEREWOLVES!'_

'Oh, my gawd! What do we _do!?'_ A group of squealing first year girls was bordering on hysterics.

'Can they get in?'

'How many are there?'

Students either raced for the windows or stayed rooted to the floor, looking Petrified. Some of the younger students looked like they were about to pass out from fright.

'Wow!' Colin's face lit up and he nearly dropped his camera. 'I wonder if I can get a picture-'  He sped nimbly through the dithering students, tying to reach one of the windows.

Hermione came marching back, stuffing something into her pocket with one hand while the other was clamped firmly around Ron's wrist, who was stumbling along behind her.

'What _do_ those two think they're doing?' she hissed to Harry in disbelief. No explanation of who 'they' were was needed.

'Oh, lay off, Hermione,' Ron said good-naturedly. 'So what if they're on the grounds?'

'Yeah, it's not like anyone's going to go out there to take a look,' Harry added.

Hermione didn't look entirely convinced.

_'OOOOOoooowwwwww!'_

_'AAAAaaaarrrooo!'_

This dance has finally become interesting, Harry thought with satisfaction as several of the professors tried to deter the students from the windows and get the music going again.

Hermione nudged Harry and pointed to the stage. Professor Torr looked extremely miffed that the howling had interrupted her song. Arms folded, lips pouting, she was glaring Snape-like in the general direction of the wild calls.

_'OOOOOOOOwwwwwwww-OOOOOOOWWWWWwwwwww!'_

For more than one reason, Harry smiled.

*

Harry sent a note to Sirius and Remus the following morning, insisting that their interruption of the dance was the most enjoyable part of the evening with perfect timing. He also mentioned the approaching Quidditch match, hinting that he really wanted both of them to come.

Hedwig returned that evening with a letter from Sirius. The tone was light and amused. Sirius recognised the hint and insisted that he'd sneak onto the grounds to watch. Unfortunately, Professor Dumbledore had sent Remus off to London that day (he refused to say what for) and even though he'd taken Buckbeak, he wouldn't be back in time for the match.

Nevertheless, Harry was thrilled that his godfather would be there to watch him play. The Gryffindor team had been training like mad, breaking in the new members and practising new moves.

Katie and Alicia had no trouble with getting Chris to fit in with the methods they'd used with Angelina. Fred and George were fooling around during practise as always, but Harry refused to give them a hard time about it like Oliver Wood used to, he trusted them to know what they were doing. They had also been spying on the Hufflepuff team, trying to find out about their training and members, at least until Harry had asked them to stop it. If they were going to win, then they would win fairly.

Ron was nothing but a bag of nerves the night before the match. Harry could remember how he'd felt the night before his very first match and did his best to distract Ron by challenging him to a game of wizard chess (and losing). Hermione even brewed a mild sleeping potion to ensure that Ron didn't sit up all night worrying necessary.

'Come on, Ron.  There's nothing to worry about.  You'll be fine!'

'Uh huh,' grunted Ron, staring blankly at the wall.

'Just try not to think about it.' Hermione advised him while the rest of the Gryffindors' in the common room were loudly discussing Quidditch from every corner.

'It's only pre-match nerves, Ron.  Soon as you're up in the air, you'll forget about what you're worrying about.  Just get a good nights sleep and try to eat something at breakfast,' said Harry, remembering Wood's general advise to his team.  To make his point, Harry stood up and shouted for his team's attention, ordering them to bed.  To his surprise, all of them obeyed, Fred and George seizing Ron by the arms and leading him up the stairs to the dormitory, Harry behind them.

*

'And here come the Gryffindor team!'

The crowd clapped and cheered enthusiastically as Harry strode out onto the pitch, broomstick in hand and his team right behind him.

It wasn't until that moment, the first step into the stadium that Harry realised how different he felt. Leading the team ... his team ... over to greet the opposing team in the centre of the field ... he had never felt such a rush of indescribable emotions overtake him before.

Pride ... there was definitely pride; he couldn't stop smiling. The familiar buzz of excitement he'd always felt right before takeoff...

'Captained by none other than Harry Potter himself, I think we can guarantee a fantastic match from the Gryffindor team!  Please welcome their newest members – Chaser Chris Butler and Keeper Ron Weasley!'

Shoulder to shoulder, the Gryffindors faced the Hufflepuffs and shook hands with their opposite number. Fourth year Robin Corey was the Hufflepuff's new Captain and Seeker. She didn't smile as she shook Harry's hand, her steely grey eyes looking Harry up and down. From what Fred and George knew of her, she wasn't above bending the rules if it meant getting her own way. 

'Mount your brooms, please,' Madam Hooch called and raised a whistle to her lips.

Harry straddled his Firebolt and prepared to takeoff.

'Three ... two ... one...'

The whistle sounded and all fourteen players shot up into the air, accompanied by the roar of the crowd.

'And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Ann Hollow of Hufflepuff - smooth pass to Benson and back to - no! Quaffle intercepted by Butler of Gryffindor! Excellent catch!'

Lee Jordan was commentating as always. But being of Gryffindor house, he couldn't help being a tad bias with his commentary.

'Neat pass to Bell - to Spinnet - back to Bell - ouch! Quaffle knocked out of Bell's hand by a Bludger! Where on earth did _that_ come from? Hufflepuff in possession, look at Benson go! Heading for the goals and - oh - what a shame, hit with both Bludgers simultaneously! Nice work from the Gryffindor Beaters and Gryffindor regain the Quaffle-'

Harry circled above the game, eyes scanning the stadium for the Snitch. Robin was flittering down the other end, weaving among the other players on her Nimbus 2000. Harry was just wondering how she expected to be able to concentrate on finding the Snitch when Robin suddenly shot up from beneath Alicia, throwing her off balance and narrowly missing a pass from Chris as a result.

Harry was half tempted to call timeout but realised that Madam Hooch already had an eye on her. Well, if Robin was so determined to harass his team, Harry had better end the game quickly, before Hufflepuff could pull ahead on points.

'Hufflepuff score!' Jordan shouted much to the delight of the crowd. '10-0 to Hufflepuff and Gryffindor seize the Quaffle-' 

Harry sped up and down, trying to spot the tiny Snitch. He could see Hermione in the crowd, waving a Gryffindor banner and cheering from the topmost row. Sat beside her was the welcoming sight of a large jet-black dog with a red Gryffindor scarf tied around its neck, tail wagging non-stop, eyes on Harry.  Guiding the Firebolt down, Harry shot over their heads, waving happily.  The dog gave a joyous bark that was muffled by the cheers of the crowd.

Harry swooped down, nearer the game to check on Ron. Ron was a lot calmer now that he was actually in the match. He kept his eyes on the Quaffle as it passed between the teams and was weaving back and forth in front of the goal hoops, determined not to let the ball pass him again.

Just then - a flash of gold - the Golden Snitch! Harry threw himself flat onto the handle of his broom and shot like a bullet up the pitch after it.

'And it looks like Potter has seen the Snitch! But look out! Here comes Corey!'

Refusing to take his eyes off the Snitch, Harry flew as fast as he could, gaining on the Snitch and reached for it -

_SMACK!_

Harry yelped in pain as a Bludger smashed into his open palm, knocking his hand aside, Robin flashed past and -

Madam Hooch blew her whistle hard, calling a halt to the game. Steering with only one hand, Harry dove for the ground where Madam Pomfrey had appeared.

The Hufflepuffs were cheering for the quick actions of their Beater although heartily disappointed that Robin had just lost sight of the Snitch. The game wasn't over yet, much to the relief of the Gryffindor supporters.

Landing with a thud, Harry barely had time to steady himself before Madam Pomfrey started examining his hand. Ron was beside him in a matter of seconds.

'Jeez, that must have hurt! You okay, Harry?'

Harry nodded, biting his tongue and trying to ignore the throbbing pain now spreading up his wrist and arm as Madam Pomfrey carefully moved his fingers back and forth.

'You're lucky ... nothing broken ... just hold still...'

Madam Pomfrey gently rubbed a strange jelly-like gel onto his hand that seeped into the skin at astonishing speed, numbing the pain. Flexing his fingers, Harry had never failed to be impressed with magical healing methods.

'Ready to resume play?' Madam Hooch asked Harry as Pomfrey left the pitch.

'Ready.' said Harry, swinging a leg over his broom once more.

The crowd cheered, very much relieved as Harry rose from the pitch and soared back above the game once more.

The game continued with Gryffindor scoring three times and Hufflepuff once. Ron pulled off a spectacular save as Hufflepuff tried to score a third time, managing to bat the Quaffle back up the pitch using the tail of his broom, much to the delight of the crowd and team.

Harry kept away from the main goings on down below him. Robin seemed to have tired of distracting the others and was now concentrating on buzzing around Harry like an irritating mosquito. 

With a jolt of his heart, Harry spotted the Snitch for the second time, circling the Gryffindor goal hoops. Fast as lightning, he was off! Too late, Robin followed. But there was no chance of her catching up.

Harry rocketed up the pitch, swerving round the Chasers, ducking under the Weasley twins as they knocked an oncoming Bludger out of his way and straight for the Snitch. Miniature wings humming, the Snitch zigzagged between the hoops, Harry in hot pursuit. Almost ... almost ... Harry leaned forward ... reached out and ...

His hand snagged the little golden ball out of the air.

Next moment, Ron collided with him, screaming with delight, the crowd was on their feet shouting and stamping. Harry could just make out Hermione in the distance, hugging Sirius in celebration whose barking was lost in the noise of the crowd.

Robin caught up and, to Harry's surprise, extended a hand.

'Good game, Potter.' She smiled, sincerely this time.

Harry shook her hand and grinned back.

'You too, Corey.'

She turned to look at Ron. 'Nice save back there, Weasley.'

Ron blushed. 'Uh, thanks.'

Head held high, Robin glided back down to her team. Harry turned to Ron.

'Well, she wasn't as bad as Fred and George made out, was she?'

'She's all right,' Ron admitted. 'Still had to beat her, you know.'

'Shame,' Harry muttered under his breath, noticing the coy smile Robin gave him over her shoulder as she landed on the pitch.

Both teams returned to the ground. Hufflepuff were taking their defeat very well, but the Gryffindors, on the other hand, stayed up until two in the morning celebrating their win and their mounting hopes for the Quidditch cup.

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*****

**Author's Notes**

Right, due to fanfiction.net being in 'read-only' mode over the weekend, I obviously missed my last post-date; but hey, stuff happens.  *mutters to self*  I just _knew_ I'd jinxed it earlier …

**Elbereth94 – **Ah, my wonderful Beta isn't about at the moment, I can tell all!! Bwha-ha-ha!  *whispers* Okay, the deal with Professor Torr is … hey, what do you think you're – ouch!  Let go! Get off me! *Little brother leaps on Voltora; furious scuffle ensues with poor Voltora ending up gagged*  Mmmhh-muuh!  MMhhrrr-mhh?!  (Translation 'This isn't fair!  What did Lil pay you?!')

**Lil Lupin –  ***Quails under stern glare*  Sorry!  Please don't tell the doctor – he won't let me talk to the Voices if you do!  *pleading gaze*  Ah, Lockhart's hair – very stylish, wouldn't you agree?  I'm waiting for the hysterical laughter of the bathroom mirror.  ^_^****

**Corrie – **Ah, thank you.  Sorry, I have people lurking – er, watching over me like hawks – okay, _kindly_ making sure that I don't spill the beans on 'what happens next'.  *grumbles but shuts up as Voltora is threatened with the gag again*****

**Evol norgara – **Cameras *shudder*  I do not photograph well – if at all!  The last decent one of me is one taken when I was about seven!  And I only like it because I happen to have a barn owl on my shoulder and I look cute!   Yep, vast majority of cameras are evil – they make you look silly on purpose!  Pie deprived, huh? Sorry, the rule on the Farm is no pies in the dining hall – they're just asking to be thrown and since they ask so nicely, well, majority of us tend to oblige!****

**Christy – **Took me a while to figure out how she was going to fall on to Harry's 'suspicious character' list.  Took me even longer to figure out which Quidditch terms to use!  My copy of Quidditch Through the Ages is all worn out.

**Evil spapple pie –  **You can play the flute!?  Cool.  I took a peak at some music books for the flute and had a similar reaction.  I can't read music very well but I've been trying to teach myself how to play some songs on my keyboard; currently attempting Dido's 'Thank You' … and failing miserably!  Ah, well, at least I'm giving it a go.   Harry?  Paranoid?  What ever gave you _that _idea?**  ^_^**

**MorganD – **Damn the Annoying Typo-Catcher!  *sighs*  Yes, I missed a 'had'; that missing apostrophe ran off and hid in that other sentence with the Weasleys *scolds the disobedient punctuation mark*;  'Spilt' should be 'split' and I have no idea were that 'to' came from!Just out of curiosity, do you do this with every fic you read, or am I just the lucky one? ^_^ 

Annoying for no reason?  Why would you want to do that?  There's got to be a reason for everything!  Even if it's only because you can't resist.  ^_^   Nope, they haven't learnt the Sonorus Charm yet.  Besides, can you image how sore Harry's throat would be if he kept switching between magical amplification and normal voice?  Not good.  Sure, the megaphone does other stuff – I believe that one edits any rude words the user speaks into it.  Professor McGonagall felt it might be a good investment after having Lee Jordan commentate.  

Harry did make his own comments in my original draft; I just didn't include every single snippet of conversation.  I just tried to keep it to the important bits.  Nepotism?  That's such a great word! (I figured I knew what you meant but I did look it up in a dictionary just to be sure.)  True, but then again Fred and George know you have to be good to be on the team and they were objective.  Besides, Ron's good at Quidditch!  

Oh yeah, sorry, that little bit with the Creeveys had to be cut out I'm afraid; didn't quite fit in properly this time.  Which is a shame because I liked it too.

*Looks back over reply*  Do you realise that you keep getting the longest reply to your review comments?  Every time!  This one is about as long as all the others put together!  At this rate I may end up with the Author's Notes section being longer than the chapter!  Not that that would be a bad thing of course … ^_^****


	13. Breach of Trust

**Chapter Thirteen; Breach of Trust**

_Harry,_

_Congratulations on winning your match and making captain!  Are you aware that your father was the Gryffindor Captain, too?  Quidditch skill must run in the family._

_Just a word of general advice – keep an eye on the Bludgers because if they hit you, you're going to know about it!  The Weasley twins are fantastic but they can't be everywhere at once.  I've had my jaw broken by a speeding Bludger once because I wasn't paying enough attention.  (I was playing Beater at the time; I have no excuse!)  Even after Madam Pomfrey healed it my jaw stayed numb for hours and I could barely speak.  James made the 'Oh, so insightful' observation that it was probably the only time I'd ever been quiet for more than ten minutes._

_You know James would be proud of you, just as much as I am._

_Keep in touch_

_Sirius._

Harry happily sat reading and re-reading Sirius' letter over breakfast the next morning and all the way through History of Magic.  The letter stayed in his pocket for the next few days, but Harry didn't dare take it out during Potions or Care of Magical Creatures when Snape or any of the Slytherins were around.

Malfoy hadn't been in a good mood all week, mainly due to Slytherin losing spectacularly to Ravenclaw by almost three hundred points in their first match.  This was great news for the other Houses because if Gryffindor beat Slytherin later in the season, they wouldn't make it into the final for the first time in nearly twenty years, which everyone took great pleasure in reminding the Slytherins of.

However, this didn't stop Malfoy from badmouthing the Gryffindors during lessons.  Harry ignored him for as long as he could and was more than pleased when Hagrid overheard Malfoy and took twenty points from Slytherin.

The class had just started studying Fwoopers; brightly coloured African birds that sang almost constantly. The birds were fun to listen to at first but by the end of the lesson their ears were ringing.

Even though the fifth years were working harder than ever, most of their lessons still proved fun. Professor Flitwick had been teaching them a Chameleon Charm and those that caught on quick enough were able to cause all sorts of mischief. Professor Flitwick was delighted.

McGonagall wasn't so amused with students fading from sight during her lessons and reappearing half a minute later on the other side of the classroom. At the cost of ten points per Chameleon Charm, the students quickly learnt to keep their fun confined to the common room in the evenings.

Divination was actually more bearable than usual. Tarot cards were fairly easy to read once you got the hang of it. Professor Trelawney was still predicting Harry's death, but by now, Harry had developed the knack of blocking her voice out whenever she started, focusing more on creating ridiculous predictions from the cards.

In fact, the only lesson Harry had a problem with, apart from Potions, was Defence Against the Dark Arts. He hadn't dreaded them this much since Lockhart had taught it three years ago.

Today was no exception.

'Nice work, Mr Thomas, remember to keep your wand steady.  Excellent, Mr Weasley, that's near perfect, keep it up.'  

Professor Torr strode up and down in front of the class, inspecting their Fire Shield Charms.  Ron was looking particularly smug at the praise.  Harry hastily returned his attention to his own efforts as Professor Torr glanced expectantly in his direction.

Waving his wand in a complicated motion through the air in front of him, Harry concentrated hard.

_'Ignis scutum!'_ he commanded firmly.

A burst of fiery heat blew across his face as a stream of fire materialised before him, rising up over his head.  But before the Shield could fully take form, the fire abruptly burnt itself out, leaving behind a thick cloud of dark smoke and a scattering of hot glowing embers.

Harry closed his eyes, grimacing in frustration.

'Not bad, Mr Potter,' Professor Torr said coolly, her lip curling slightly.  'Though perhaps if you wouldn't mind paying your full attention you wouldn't be so far behind.'

Harry scowled once she'd turned her back on him.  Her attitude was nothing short of infuriating.  Why didn't she try to help him instead of ridiculing his efforts?  Even with his O.W.L results at risk, Harry couldn't bring himself to ask for Professor Torr's assistance, not when Hermione was actually willing to help him.

Ron made it very clear that he thought Harry was just being plain stubborn and immature. 

'You're just miffed that you've found something you're not very good at,' said Ron, admiring his Defence essay that Professor Torr had marked with a perfect score.  'You can't be perfect at everything – that's Hermione's job.'

It was an irrational feeling but Harry couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards Ron.  Ron had proved to be quite apt at these defence spells, displaying a competent aptitude that he'd lacked in his other subjects.  It was a wonder why Professor Torr even bothered asking him if he needed any help when others were so obviously in greater need of it.

BANG!

The entire classroom was suddenly engulfed in thick smoke. Harry couldn't see more than two feet in any direction before closing his eyes to keep them from stinging.  Someone bumped against Harry as they passed, fumbling blindly.  Everyone around him were coughing and spluttering, helplessly trying to wave the smoke away.  

The windows were flung open and the smoke billowed out, repelled by Professor Torr as she waved her wand, one hand over her mouth, coughing forcibly. When the last wisps of smoke had flown outside, the windows slammed shut. Professor Torr's angry violet eyes glared stonily around the silent class, before slowly coming to rest on Neville.

Neville stared back, wide-eyed like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

'B-but it w-wasn't me!' he stammered as everyone turned to look at him.

It went without saying that Neville was notoriously accident prone and scatter-brained. Something was guaranteed to go wrong for him in almost every lesson. In their last Potions lesson for example, Neville's Paralysis Potion had set like cold, lumpy custard, fusing itself to the inside of his cauldron. The result was one detention courtesy of Snape. Things broke, items were lost and spells backfired occasionally, but Neville had never denied having anything to do with it, he just accepted the consequences. 

Until now.

'I didn't do it, Professor!' he insisted.

Professor Torr glared at him, arms folded. She didn't believe him. 

With a pleading look, Neville turned to Hermione who had been working beside him. Hermione was nervously fidgeting with her wand. She looked at him apologetically, mouthing the word 'sorry'.

'Mr. Longbottom,' Professor Torr said coldly. 'Stay behind after class.'

Neville nodded miserably.

Twenty minutes later the bell rang and the class were dismissed. As they filled out Neville proceeded to Professor Torr's desk. Hermione dashed past him and suddenly banged her hip against the corner of the desk. A small white vase of little yellow flowers wobbled dangerously close to the edge ... and fell.

_'Accio vase!'_

A split second before it could hit the floor, the little vase flew back up, spilling the flowers out onto the floor in all directions.  Heart thumping, Harry caught the fragile vase in his hands.  Professor Torr swept over to them.  She stood, hands on hips, glaring disapprovingly at Hermione.

'Miss Granger, what do you think you're doing?  Running through a crowded classroom – it's dangerous! You could hurt yourself or break something.'

She held out her slender hand to Harry.  Without a word, Harry handed her vase back.  Professor Torr set it on her desk, turning back to Hermione.

'I'm very sorry Professor,' said Hermione meekly.  Kneeling down, she hastily started to gather up the flowers.

'I think you ought to apologise to your classmates for the loss of five points,' said Professor Torr coldly.  Her violet eyes flicked over to Harry.  'Mr Potter, the lesson is over; you, therefore, should be gone.'

Silently Harry turned and left, meeting up with Ron who had been hovering in the corridor just outside the door.  Looking back, Harry saw Hermione hand Professor Torr a slightly squashed bunch of flowers, holding one hand clenched behind her back.  Turning to leave, she quickly transferred whatever she held into a deep pocket.  Hurriedly leaving the room, she caught up with Harry and Ron.

'Are you okay?' asked Ron as they started off down the corridor.

'Yes, it's only a bruise,' said Hermione, tenderly rubbing her hip.

'You know, it's very strange ...' Harry said slowly. 'Neville's normally the clumsy one.'

Hermione went slightly pink.

'It was an accident.' she insisted.

'Like the spell backfiring just now?'

Hermione bit her lip.

'Neville wasn't lying when he said it wasn't him.' Harry said quietly, looking at Hermione who was now avoiding his stare.

Ron looked back and forth between them, looking confused.

'What are you getting at, Harry?' he asked.

'That Hermione deliberately cast her spell incorrectly and let Neville take the blame for it.'

Ron stared at her in total shock.

'Okay ... now I'm really lost ... what the hell did you do that for?'

Hermione didn't answer right away. She beckoned them to follow and silently led them downstairs and into a disused classroom.   From inside her pocket, she drew out two small cubes, not much smaller than a pair of Snitches, one pale blue and one pale yellow.

'What are these?' Ron asked, picking up the blue cube and examining it closely.

'They're Voice Boxes,' said Hermione. 'They record and play back sound, similar to a Muggle tape recorder.'

'Where did you get them?'

'Owl-ordered them from Teen Witch magazine. I've been using them for class notes.'

'Is that all you've been using them for?' Harry asked suspiciously.

Hermione shook her head. Holding her hand out to Ron, he gave her back the blue Voice Box. Holding it in her open palm, Hermione whispered an incantation. The cube glowed and then...

_# - deserve an award,_

_For the role that you played,_

_No more masquerade- #_

Professor Torr's voice, reduced to a near whisper, repeated the song she'd performed on Halloween.

Hermione silenced it, and then held up the yellow cube.

'Now listen to this one.'

Once again, Professor Torr's voice came from the Box.

_# - Mr Longbottom, stay behind after class. #_

Harry frowned, looked up at Hermione.

'Hear it?' she asked.

'Yeah,' said Ron, frowning. 'They're different.'

'Almost completely different voice prints,' Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

'But they sound so-'

'Similar? They'd have to be, otherwise it would be too obvious that neither of these are Professor Torr's real voice.  Look.'

From the blue cube rose a dark wavy blue line, floating in the air in front of them.

'This is the voice she used to sing at Halloween.' Hermione explained. 'But this is what I found underneath.' The line split in two. One was the original deep blue while the new one was dull green. 'Want to hear it?'

Harry nodded.

The new line glowed and the song began again.

_# - It comes so easy,_

_When you get to the part - #_

Harry and Ron cringed. This voice was awful! Deeper, grating and completely out of tune.

'Who on Earth is _that_?' Ron demanded. 'It sounds like a strangled cat!'

'That strangled cat would be Professor Torr,' said Hermione, suppressing a smile.

'Eh?'  Ron was lost again.

'That's her real voice under the fake one, the one we all hear. But this is the latest sample, the one I've just got.'

A wavy line emerged from the yellow cube, splitting itself in two on Hermione's command; one yellow and one brown. The brown matched up with the green line but the yellow didn't match up with the blue.

'The brown and green lines are both samples of Professor Torr's real voice but the others are not. She's dubbed her voice with completely different prints. I noticed her voice sounded odd at the dance so I recorded it to break down later on ... but I wanted a second sample, just to be sure ... that's why I cast that smoke-screen ... I hid the second cube in that bunch of flowers when no one could see me-'

'Leaving Neville to take the blame?' said Ron.

'I didn't mean to get Neville into trouble!' Hermione snapped. 'It's not my fault that she put the blame on Neville, if I owned up to it she'd think I was just doing it to get him out of trouble!'

'And she'd be right.' 

'Yes and Neville would still have been held responsible!' she huffed, shoving the cubes back into her pocket and folding her arms.

'And what, may I ask, is the point of this?' asked Ron, his face clouding suspiciously.  He glanced at Harry who in turn stole a glance at Hermione.  Ron raised his eyebrows in sudden understanding.

'Oh, come on!  You don't think she's some of sort of agent for You-Know-Who, do you?'

'We never said that, Ron,' said Harry bracingly.

'Ron,' said Hermione quickly,  'we just felt that it was better to be safe than sorry.  We want to make sure that she can be trusted.'

Ron frowned.

'And what do those voice prints prove?  That she dubs her real voice with a decent singing one, once in a while?  Oh, yeah, now _there's_ a capital offence,' he said sarcastically.

Reluctantly, Hermione had to admit that the voice samples by themselves didn't prove anything and they all knew it.

'Okay, maybe it's simply a false alarm and there's some perfectly rational explanation for these,' she said evenly.  'But personally, I'd feel better if we knew a little more.'

Ron remained adamant that both Harry and Hermione were barking up the wrong tree for no reason.  Walking back to the common room, Harry insisted that they would drop the subject unless something else came up.  As of yet, they had no evidence of anything, if indeed, there was anything to be proven.

*

December arrived, bringing the Christmas holidays, along with a Hogsmeade weekend for the remaining students on Christmas Day. Harry wrote to Sirius and they arranged to meet up in Hogsmeade to spend the day together. Remus had briefly returned to Hogsmeade but had gone with Buckbeak on another mission for Dumbledore. Sirius confessed in his letter that he'd been asked to go, but Remus had insisted they swap so that Sirius got to spend Christmas with Harry.

Harry was again growing impatient to talk to his godfather. He wasn't sure how he was going to bring up the subject of Professor Torr's dodgy vocals but then decided that he wouldn't. He didn't want to spoil the day by talking about some weird professor of his. The talisman Harry refused to take off as he'd promised Sirius, hung around his neck like a dead weight, making its presence felt. Harry felt uncomfortable knowing that Professor Torr had that ring of hers on at all times as well. Even if the talisman did alert her to whatever danger he might be in, Harry wasn't reassured that she'd be first by his side instead of his godfather.

*

On Christmas morning, Harry woke up to the sound of Hedwig screeching in his ear, bringing a present from Sirius. Eagerly Harry ripped off the paper to find a jar of Bruise Balm. The note attached, baring a large paw print, read; _Should come in handy at your next match! Merry Christmas from Padfoot_, 

Harry also received another Weasley sweater, this time a royal blue, and a large box of mince pies. Hermione had given him a red Voice Box ('You never know when you might need one.') and he received a tin of broomstick polish from Ron, as a refill for his servicing kit.

The castle had been decorated overnight. Everything inside was covered in a thin layer of strangely warm frost and huge icicles hung from the ceilings and torch brackets. A mini ice-rink had been formed in the Entrance Hall; several students were happily skating in circles while others slid helplessly across the hall on their backsides. Outside several feet of snow had fallen and many people were pelting their friends with snowballs or building snowmen.

After lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed out to Hogsmeade, wrapped up in cloaks, scarves, gloves and hats, their warm breath forming misty clouds in front of them as they trudged through the snow and into the village.

Ron and Hermione both headed straight for Honeydukes the sweet shop, while Harry set off to meet Sirius. The Three Broomsticks was very warm and inviting, drawing Harry in like a magnet and up to the bar to order a Butterbeer. Sitting by the frosted windows near the door, Harry held his tankard with both hands to warm them up, his emerald green eyes sweeping the room, patiently waiting.

*

Harry drained the last of his Butterbeer and glanced around the tavern. Madam Rosmerta was serving a group of young warlocks who were trying to coax her into standing beneath the mistletoe. Playfully, Madam Rosmerta pretended not to see the mistletoe and repeatedly stood in the wrong place. Many Hogwarts students were scattered around the room, happily chatting and showing off their gifts to one other.

There was no sign of a large, shaggy black dog.

With a small sigh, Harry looked glanced out of the window at the swirling snow, then down at his watch.  It was quarter past one.  Sirius promised he'd be here at one.  Maybe his watch was fast?  Anxiously, Harry swivelled round in his seat to check the clock on the wall behind the bar.  No, it was definitely fifteen minutes past.

'Harry?'

Harry spun round.  Ron and Hermione had just entered the pub, both looking about uncertainly.

'Harry, where's Snuffles?' asked Hermione, brow furrowed.  'You did say one o'clock, didn't you?'

'Yeah,' said Harry, again looking round the pub.  'He said he'd be here but I haven't seen him.'

'Do you think something might have happened?' Ron whispered nervously, lowering his voice as a warlock strode past them.

Harry stood up.

'Come on, let's check his room.'

They crossed the pub to the narrow passageway partly hidden behind the bar, which led to the staircase for the upper floors.  Harry took the stairs two at a time.  

Why hadn't Sirius come to meet him?  Was he ill in bed, perhaps?  The last time Harry had seen his godfather he hadn't looked particularly well, admitting to a headache and not sleeping …

Trying to stay calm, Harry led Hermione and Ron down the candle-lit corridor.  Room 5 was right at the far end.  Checking carefully that no one was about, Harry slowly raised a hand and knocked softly on the door.

There was no answer.

He knocked again, a little louder, and pressed his ear to the door.  Nothing.

'I don't think he's in,' said Hermione uneasily.  'Shouldn't we go back downstairs and wait for him?'

Harry tried the handle.  It didn't move.

'Cervus,' he whispered, and twisted it again.

This time the handle turned and Harry opened the door.

'Sirius?' he called softly, sticking his head in.

Again, he heard nothing.  Pushing the door open wide, Harry stepped over the threshold.

It was clear at a glance that Sirius was not there.  The dark panelled room was simply furnished.  Two neatly made beds, a writer's bureau, a tall wardrobe and a mirror hanging on the wall.  The adjourning bathroom was empty too.

'Where is he?' asked Harry, looking hopelessly about the room for some indication of his godfather's whereabouts.

'Madam Rosmerta might know,' said Ron.  'We could go back down and ask her –'

'Oh, I see,' came a grumbling voice from behind them.  'Don't bother asking me, then.  I'll just hang around here and be ignored, shall I?'

Harry, Ron and Hermione jumped, looking about the room for the owner of the voice.  But there was no one in sight.

'Who's there?' demanded Harry, pulling his wand out of his pocket.  'Show yourself.'

'I'm right here, you idiot!  What's the matter, you blind?'

Slowly, Harry turned to the direction of the voice.  His gaze fell upon the nondescript wooden framed mirror hanging opposite.

'Ah!' said the mirror excitedly.  'You must be Harry!'

Harry glanced back over his shoulder at Ron and Hermione, perplexed.  He was used to witches and wizards recognising him as the Boy-Who-Lived, but never before had he been addressed by a piece of furniture.

'Excuse me,' he said nervously, 'but how do you know who I am?'

'Well, it's not like I heard about anyone else when your godfather moved in,' said the mirror wearily.  'You were all he talked about the first week or two.'

'Sirius?  You've seen Sirius?'  Harry stepped right up to the mirror, staring hard at his own reflection.

'Course I've seen him, he lives here,' drawled the mirror.  'But if what you mean is, have I seen him _today,_ then sure, I saw him this morning.  Boy, was _he _grumpy.  I should warn you, he is not a morning person.  Try to make pleasant conversation and he threatens to put his fist through me if I didn't shut up.' The mirror sighed.  'That guy has been getting worse since his friend left.'

'Worse how?' asked Hermione, coming up behind Harry.  'Has he been sick?'

'Only if you count major mood-swings.  One minute he'd be perfectly fine, then the next he'd be like a bear with a sore head.  I don't know how his friend put up with it.  Anything seemed capable of setting him off.  I don't think they've spoken for a while, actually.'

'Sirius and Remus were arguing?  About what?' said Harry incredulously.

'Not sure.  Something about you, I think.  Oh, and the letters Sirius was receiving; seemed to irritate Remus something chronic.'

'Any idea why?' asked Hermione.  'Who were they from?'

'They never mentioned a name, not when I was paying attention anyway.  But every time your godfather got one he'd just go … I dunno … kinda spaced out, like he wasn't all there, you know?  He got one this morning and he left pretty quickly.'

'What letter?' demanded Harry,  'Where is it?'

The mirror fell silent, presumably a little disgruntled by Harry's forceful tone.

'It's in the bin,'

Harry seized the waste bin that stood beside the bureau.  A small sheet of slightly crumpled parchment lay in the bottom.

'Is it from Remus?' asked Ron.  Hermione leaned over Harry's shoulder as he smoothed the parchment out.  'Maybe something urgent came up?'

'I sincerely doubt that Remus would send Sirius a perfumed scented letter,' Harry coughed, holding the letter at arms length.

'Unless there's something they're not telling us, of course,' Ron muttered, forcing a laugh.

Hermione took a delicate sniff of the parchment.  Wrinkling her nose, she hastily waved her hand in front of her face.

'That's rather strong,' she said, taking a step back.  'What does it say?'

Harry squinted hard at the delicate loopy handwriting.  It was very small and difficult to read.  Try as Harry might he could only make out a few words and they didn't tell him anything.  The only name that was legible was that of the addressee; Sirius.

'This isn't any use, I can't even read it,' said Harry, angrily thrusting it at Hermione. 'It's definitely not Remus' handwriting.'  He glared up at the mirror.  'D'you have _any _idea where he's gone?'

'Nope,' quipped the mirror.

'Well, when did he leave?'

The mirror mulled it over.

'About an hour ago, give or take ten minutes.'

'But then he must have left shortly before I got here,' said Harry.

'Right after he finished that letter.  Guess he's gone to meet someone.  It seemed pretty urgent, considering how fast he left,' added the mirror, not helping Harry's stressful position in the slightest.

Not wanting to worry Harry further, Hermione quickly put forward the suggestion that they go out and look for Sirius around Hogsmeade.

'He can't have gone far.  He's probably still in the village,' she said, stuffing the letter into her pocket. Harry seemed to calm down a little at her words, although she wasn't sure if she was right.  Still, a plan of action gave Harry something to focus on.

'You're right.  I'm gonna go look for him,'

'Do I even get a 'thank you'?' sighed the mirror mournfully as Harry hurried out into the corridor, Ron at his heels.  'Just forget about the mirror … everybody else does,'

Hermione, poised in the doorway, turned and aimed her wand at the mirror.

_'Mundo!'_

A cloud of gold sparks whooshed out of her wand and swirled around the mirror.  In an instant the glass was sparkling clean, not a smudge to be seen; the dust on the frame was gone and the frame was shifted ever so slight to straighten itself up. 

'Hey, that tickled!' giggled the mirror,  'But thanks!'

'Don't mention it,' smiled Hermione, 'You won't tell anyone that we were here, will you?'

'If I had lips, they'd be sealed.'

'Thank you,' said Hermione, shutting the door and racing away to catch up with the boys.

*

Harry hadn't felt this uneasy since the morning of his surprise birthday party, thinking that something had happened to the Weasleys after waking to a silent and seemingly deserted house.

For over an hour Harry led his friends up and down the streets, right round the edge of the village and back again without a sign of his godfather anywhere. Looking over his shoulder, Harry could see that Ron and Hermione were half inclined to give up, but they stayed with him without a word about the freezing weather or the fact that their search seemed almost pointless - Sirius wasn't in Hogsmeade. 

'Maybe we should split up?' Hermione asked Harry, re-arranging her scarf. 

'We could meet up in front of the Three Broomsticks in, say, half an hour?' added Ron, his teeth chattering.

Harry agreed and each of them set off in a different direction, disappearing into the crowds.  Struggling through the deep snow, Harry continued up the street.  He hardly seemed aware of the cold.  He walked as quickly as the snowdrifts would allow, eyes darting from one person to the next as they passed him by, scanning the entrances to small, darkened alleyways and up the brightly lit main streets.

Harry hesitantly pushed his robe sleeve up to check his watch.  It was now getting on for three o'clock.  Goosebumps rose on his exposed wrist and he quickly shoved his sleeve back down and pressed on.  

Sirius had promised to come and spend the day with Harry - he wouldn't go back on his promise, surely.  So something must have happened.  Perhaps Remus had come back and had needed to speak with Sirius urgently, like Ron had said?  Something to do with Voldemort?  If it had been a dire emergency, then Sirius wouldn't have had time to tell Harry that he would be able to meet him …

After half an hour, just as Harry was about to reluctantly admit defeat and go back to the Three Broomsticks, he spotted something that made his heart and body stop cold.

Professor Torr, dressed in a green velvet hooded cloak with fluffy white trim, had just emerged from Honeydukes, arms loaded with fancy gift boxes. Smiling her perfect smile, she looked down at her companion.

A large, shaggy black dog.

Harry stood rooted to the spot, blinking hard for a moment, not even noticing the people jostling past him. He watched as Professor Torr and the dog crossed the road together and disappeared down a side street leading to the outskirts of the village.

Slowly, as though hypnotised, Harry followed. He turned onto the street in time to see the hem of Professor Torr's cloak whip round another corner.

Harry broke into a jog to catch up.  He knew that Ron and Hermione were going to be worried if he didn't meet them, but all he could think of was to follow.

Within minutes, Professor Torr had left the main streets of the village and was making her way round the outskirts, taking a path through the darkened back streets, the dog trotting obediently by her side.

Harry, wishing he had his Invisibility Cloak with him, kept about fifty metres behind them, only speeding up when he lost sight of them. Once, Professor Torr looked back over her shoulder and Harry quickly moved back to hide behind a building. Peering round the corner a few moments later, he saw the dog had stopped, looking questioningly up at her. Professor Torr shook her head, smiled, and they continued on their way.

Soon, Harry had to resort to following the footprints in the snow, not paying much attention to anything else until he looked up to see that he'd come a full circle; he'd arrived in the alley that ran behind the Three Broomsticks. The foot and paw prints led straight to a long, low building at the rear of the tavern.

Harry slowly crept closer, straining his ears for any sound.  The building smelt of hay and through the double doors, Harry could make out a stall.  A slender chestnut horse lifted its head, its warm breath exploding in a misty cloud as it snorted.  

Harry paused at the stable door, eyeing the horse cautiously.  It stared benignly at him with its dark eyes.  It leaned its head out, sniffing eagerly for a treat.  Harry shook his head and spread his empty hands.  Disappointed, the horse retreated back into its stall and turned its back on Harry, pulling hay from a rack.

Harry tiptoed inside.  A few other stalls were occupied.  There was no sign of Professor Torr or the dog.  

'Caw?'

Startled, Harry jerked back a pace. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was curiously poking his feathered head out of his stall to see who was sneaking around, eyes narrowing slightly as Harry continued his approach. Pausing a few feet from him, Harry bowed to Buckbeak and waited. Buckbeak, unable to bend his knees probably, lowered his head as far as the door would allow, permitting Harry to come closer.

Harry was half frozen by now and he was sure that his chattering teeth could be heard a mile off as he crept as quietly as he could down the passage. He stopped, listening.  Muffled sounds could be heard, not too far off. Harry crept to the next stall.  The door was slightly open. Half crouched Harry leaned over to peer through the crack.  

His mouth fell open in silent horror, eyes wide.

There, among the bales of hay, were Professor Torr and his godfather.  No longer in the guise of a dog, Sirius was half lying in the hay, his arms wrapped round Professor Torr who was practically sitting on his lap, forcing him back gently, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.  Her hands running over his chest and down the length of his body, easing off his cloak …

Harry wasn't sure how long he stood there. Ten seconds, a minute? Did it matter? 

Time stopped.

When it started again, Harry spun on his heel and ran.

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated._**

*

**Authors Notes**

**Evol norgara** – You looked like an elf in a photo?  That can't be bad!  And sorry, the pie rule stands. *peers about the room, lowers voice and beckons Evol closer*  Try bribing the guard on the main gate, the one that looks suspiciously how Dudley Dursley would be if you aged him sixty years.  Nice guy, will do anything for a buttered crumpet.

**Elbereth94 – **Yeah, I'm sorry too.  But I really can't say anything!  *whines*  It'll spoil everything if I do!  

**Christy – **Well, as you can now see, we have sparks between Professor Torr and Sirius!  *plays little fanfare*  I did consider having Professor Torr give more input to the Quidditch trials but she was better off on the sidelines – otherwise most people would have started showing off, they needed to concentrate on the trial, not the coach.  Ah, had to have Sirius there at the match!  He said he came to watch Harry play during the third year so why break with tradition? ^_^

**MorganD –** I can assure you that pointing out the mistakes and silly errors do not annoy me.  When I look back on the chapter and suddenly realise how obvious some of them are, _that_ annoys me!  And that's entirely my fault.  Some of them, like spilt/split, don't bother me too much because that kind of error is very easy to make and difficult to spot – especially since the spellchecker doesn't pick up on them.  The apostrophises … well, my New Years resolution is to master the correct use of them.  My wonderful Beta Lil Lupin is helping me out a lot with them, but clearly still making a few slip ups here and there.  Sorry Lil!  She does a great job correcting my grammar and so on, although a few mistakes are blatantly slipping through the net.  *sigh*  We'll get there eventually.

So, really, please don't stop pointing mistakes out to me – how else am I going to know about them?  I need to know where my weak spots are!  Apostrophises on the whole are improving, as far as Lil is concerned. ^_^   She sent me some rules on the use of them and they're a great help.  Hopefully my next fic won't have so many little errors.  (I went through this chapter again before posting and corrected another three mistakes!)

15 page reviews??  In the words of Ron Weasley – 'Bloody hell!'  Hope FairyTale appreciates it!  ^_^  

**Evil spapple pie** – Music skill?  Hhm, an alien concept with me I'm afraid! ^_^  Probably my greatest musical achievement to date is teaching myself to play Jingle Bells. LOL.  I'm sure you're all dully impressed.  Oh!  You can speak Japanese??!  How cool is that?!  I know maybe 12 words – no where near enough to string together a sentence.  I've been picking up a few words over the past six /seven months now that I'm learning a martial art.  I'd love to be fluent in a different language – can't see it happening though!  ^_^  Best of luck to you with your Japanese!

**Corrie –** Ohh, you're back again!  I like this; reviewers coming back for more; makes me smile all day! ^_^  Glad you like it so far.


	14. Differences of Opinion

**Chapter Fourteen; Differences of Opinion**

Harry wasn't entirely certain how he'd made it back to Hogwarts.  The recollections he did have were of throwing the front doors open and running up to Gryffindor Tower, practically suffocating from lack of air.  Feeling horribly sick and shaking, he'd collapsed onto an armchair by the fire, not having the strength to drag himself up to his room before Ron and Hermione could catch up with him.

As soon as Harry had failed to show up, they'd immediately set of again to try and find him, only to be almost knocked to the ground as Harry had abruptly emerged from the alley beside the inn.  He hadn't stopped running though they shouted to him, doggedly following him back to the castle, wondering what on earth had happened.

Ron bombarded Harry with questions once they'd managed to corner him in the common room.  Was he okay?  What had happened?  Had he seen Sirius?

But Harry only heard them as if from a distance.  His brain didn't seem capable of processing a single thought.  He sat in silence, staring unseeingly into the flickering fire.

Unable to get Harry to speak, Hermione, being more sensitive than Ron, timidly suggested that maybe Harry wanted to be left alone for a little while.  Ron reluctantly agreed and accompanied her to the library.

Not long after they'd gone, Harry left the common room himself and aimlessly wandered around the corridors, his mind filled a blank buzzing, refusing to take anything in or allow any coherent thought to cross it.  Like a zombie, Harry eventually returned to the common room for a few hours, sitting in a corner and absentmindedly stroking Crookshanks who had curled by beside him without being noticed.

Not feeling hungry, he skipped dinner and went straight to bed, but he didn't sleep.  He simply lay there with his eyes shut, wishing that he could forget what he'd seen … wishing he knew how to do a Memory Charm or something … anything …

Harry must have drifted off to sleep eventually because the next thing he knew it was eleven o'clock. Ron was fast asleep in the next bed, his sleep untroubled. For a while Harry lay staring into the darkness.

Then, Harry silently climbed out of bed and drew out his Invisibility Cloak from under the mattress. He went to his trunk and fetched the Marauders Map, the owl whistle he'd got on his birthday, a quill, some parchment and a bottle of ink.  Swinging the Cloak round his shoulders, Harry crept out of the dormitory.

The Owlery was situated at the top of the West Tower. Most of the owls were gone on their nightly hunt, Hedwig included. Harry stepped up to one of the windows and squinted through the darkness. Several owls could be seen swooping on silent wings over the Forbidden Forest. 

Praying that Hedwig wasn't far off, Harry raised the whistle to his lips and blew hard. Not a sound could Harry hear, but almost immediately one of the owls circling the forest changed direction, flapping hard, turning back towards the tower.

Like a ghost, Hedwig glided through the window and landed on an empty perch, looking at Harry expectantly with her gleaming amber eyes. 

Harry scribbled a hasty note.

_Need to talk. Urgent. Behind Zonko's. Come now._

Smudging the ink and blotting the parchment, Harry folded it up and tied it to Hedwig's leg.

'He has to read it now,' Harry told her as he carried the owl back to the window. 'You might have to wake him up.'

With a hoot of understanding, Hedwig sped off into the night and Harry left the tower.

*

On the fifth floor there was a large display room of armour and weapons. At any other time Harry might have enjoyed having a chance to look around at the crossbows, clubs and swords, but all he was looking for right now was a rusted torch bracket. He found it in a shadowy corner behind a small suit of armour. Carefully, Harry reached up past the helmet, gripped the bracket and twisted it ninety degrees to the left.

_CccrrrrrrreeeeEEEAAAAKKKKKKkkkkk!_

A trapdoor swung open in the opposite corner. Quickly, Harry raced over and jumped through, as the trapdoor slowly started to close, the bracket returning to its original position.

The drop didn't last more than a few seconds. He landed on a huge pile of cushions, a giant cloud of dust erupting suddenly around him, making him cough. Harry scrambled up, hastily dusted himself off and proceeded down a wide, sweeping staircase to an underground tunnel that would take him straight to Hogsmeade.

* 

Harry shivered and wrapped his cloak more tightly around him as an icy wind tore through the alleyway, whipping cruelly at his face. Having completely forgotten his hat, snow was settling in his hair.  Squinting through the darkness, Harry struggled blindly on.  All the buildings looked the same in the gloomy half-light.  Feeling rather vulnerable, Harry peered around for some indication of where he was.  Surely he'd have reached Zonko's by now.  Had he missed it, or was it further up the road?

Something white flew over his head and hooted loudly.  Hedwig fluttered down, struggling against the wind and snow, to land on his arm. Hastily, Harry wrapped her up in his cloak, gently rubbing her to warm her up. 

Then out of the darkness came the bounding form of a shaggy dog. Icy clouds streaming from his mouth, Sirius ploughed through the snowdrifts and barked at Harry, tossing his head back. Harry followed, head bowed against the wind.

Sirius didn't lead him far, just through a hidden back entrance into the cellar of Zonko's joke shop. It was dimly lit; Harry could only just make out the towering storage crates and boxes packed neatly into the room. Sirius shook himself hard, sending a flurry of snow and ice everywhere, before turning to Harry and changing back into human form.

'Jeez, Harry, you're frozen!' Quickly, Sirius reached out and drew Harry close, rubbing him to warm him up.

Harry shivered.  The snow in his hair had melted with the sudden warmth and was dripping down the back of his neck. He sneezed.

'Now you've got a cold,' Sirius muttered. 'Why on earth couldn't this wait until morning, eh? What's so urgent that you'd risk pneumonia just to speak to me?'

'Where were you?' Harry mumbled through a mouthful of chattering teeth.

'Sorry?'

'Today ... said you'd come ... and you didn't.'

Sirius paused for a moment, then groaned. 'Oh, no ... I forgot ... oh, I'm really sorry Harry ... I must have lost track of time.'

_I'll bet you did,_ Harry thought coldly.

'Tell you what ... tomorrow, I'll sneak into the castle to see you ... don't want you leaving the castle if you're coming down with something.'

'Sure you're not coming to see Professor Torr?' Harry whispered bitterly.

Sirius froze and not because of the sub-zero temperatures.

'What did you ... what?' 

'I saw you...' Harry lifted his head and looked Sirius straight in the eyes. 'I saw you with her earlier ... you were with her when you promised to spend the day with me...'

'W-what? When?'

'About four ... saw you leaving Honeydukes with ... with her...' Harry let out another violent sneeze. '... Followed you ... behind the inn...'

'Okay, stop right there, Harry,' said Sirius. 'You were spying on me?'

Harry's brain felt as numb as his frostbitten fingers.

'What? No! Not spying ... when you didn't show, I went looking for you ... I thought something might have - but you were with her!' His voice rose shakily, his anger building. 'I can't believe you broke your promise!'

'Harry - I said I was sorry-'

'Well, it doesn't change the fact that you'd rather see your _girlfriend_-' Harry spat the word distastefully. 'Than spend time with me!'

'Hold on, that's not fair!' said Sirius, eyes narrowed angrily. 'I never said I'd prefer being with Tia-'

'So, it's _Tia,_ now, is it?' Harry snapped and threw off Sirius' arms and stood glaring at him. 

Hedwig, none too happy with the way this conversation was going, hooted softly from the depths of Harry's cloak, asking to be let out. Harry ignored her. 

'I knew you didn't tell me everything when I asked about her last time, but I didn't think you'd lie!'

'Okay, that's enough!' Sirius was on his feet, face contorted with fury. 'What I do or whom I'm with at any time is no business of yours. I do _not_ have to tell you anything that does not concern you-'

'But it does!' Harry almost shouted. Hedwig gave a startled hoot and squirmed uneasily as Harry held her close. 'I'm your godson!' 

Harry had to stop there as another violent sneeze escaped him, and because he couldn't think of a decent argument with which to continue.

'Doesn't that mean anything to you?' he asked desperately.

'Of course it does!' It was hard to tell if Sirius was shocked or just confused that Harry had just asked him that question.  'When James asked if I would be your godfather, I was overjoyed that he'd even considered me! But I'll be honest with you, Harry; I don't know whether or not James made the best choice, but the fact is I _am _the one he chose which means that _I _am responsible for you and I have to do whatever I think is right to do! And if that includes enlisting the help of someone I happen to trust, I don't care if you like her or not! Tia could well be putting her life on the line, trying to help me protect you!' He paused to catch his breath. 'I'm trying to do the right thing here, Harry.'

Harry's head was throbbing, maybe because of the cold. More likely it was due to his anger about the whole situation. He didn't know what to do or say.

'So you think the 'right thing to do' involves lying to me?'  The words simply fell out of his mouth, before his brain could catch up with the thought.

'Harry, I _didn't_ lie to you!'

'You didn't tell me the truth! It's the same as lying!'

'I don't want to hear this, Harry-'

'Why? Does the truth hurt that much?' 

Sirius' temper flared like a roaring fire.

'Harry, you're going back to Hogwarts, _now_!'

'Going to ask your precious Tia to keep an eye on me, are you? Make sure I act like a good little boy?'

'If you keep acting like such a spoilt brat, I might have to!'

'I HATE YOU!' Harry yelled, losing his temper completely. 'AND I HATE PROFESSOR TORR! WHAT DO YOU SEE IN HER? IF ANYTHING? SHE'S NOTHING BUT A HAG!'

'DON'T YOU _DARE _TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!' Sirius roared back. 'I've had _enough_ of this - I'll take you back to the castle myself!'

Harry backed away, shaking with anger, struggling to form a coherent sentence from his confused thoughts.

Only three words managed to force their way out.

_'I hate you!'_ he hissed.

Sirius moved towards him -

In a rush of feathers, Hedwig tore out from under Harry's cloak, flapping and screeching madly, talons up and straight at Sirius. Caught by surprise, Sirius stumbled backwards, slamming into a tower of crates; Hedwig latched onto his arm, digging her talons in! Sirius shouted in pain, in shock.

Harry bolted for the door. Mad and confused, he raced back outside and up the street. Blinded by tears of rage, Harry stumbled through the snow, moving as fast as he could without any idea of where he was going.

*

If any of the Hogsmeade residents had been awake at one in the morning and had looked out of a window, they would have wondered why a student from Hogwarts was wandering around the darkened streets so late at night with a snowy owl perched upon his shoulder. Or even why he was there in the first place. But Harry didn't care if anyone saw him, much less if he was reported.

His mind was numb. Not a single thought could evade the blank emptiness that he'd been left with. His body seemed to be operating on its own, placing one foot in front of the other, taking him in circles round the village streets. 

Hedwig had caught up with him perhaps ten minutes after Harry had fled from the shop. Harry didn't respond to her presence but she knew he was grateful for her company. He didn't have to say anything. She gave an occasional soft hoot, rubbing against his cheek or fluttering her wings, other than that she made no attempt to steer Harry in the general direction of the castle. 

If he didn't want to go back, it was his choice. 

She wouldn't make it for him. 

*

At roughly three in the morning, Harry finally returned to the castle, taking one of the passages he'd memorised from the Map, this one from behind the village bakery which in turn led to a disused dungeon, not far from Snape's office.

Without even lifting his head, Harry silently made his way up to the seventh floor. Hedwig screeched just loudly enough to wake the Fat Lady who was most surprised to see a student out this late. So surprised that she made no comment as Harry gave her the password 'Frogs Breath' and swung open to let him inside. 

Harry went to bed, falling asleep the moment his sore head touched the pillow.

Hedwig settled on the windowsill, where she could see him. She stayed awake until dawn, watching her young master toss and turn with the nightmares that plagued him.

*

When Harry finally woke, it was to find Ron and Hermione sitting beside him, talking quietly, looking as though someone had died.

Hermione was the first to realise that he was awake.

'Oh, Harry! Are you okay?' she asked anxiously, leaning over him.

Harry mumbled something, reaching for his glasses.

'You've been asleep nearly all day!' Ron said. 'We thought you might be ill or something.'

At Ron's words, Harry suddenly became aware of how rough he felt. His head was aching, his chest felt tight, his nose was bunged up and he felt like he might throw up. He opened his mouth to ask what time it was, when a _deafening_ sneeze came out instead.

Hermione grabbed a handy box of tissues from Neville's bedside table and handed it to him.

'You _are_ sick, Harry. You should go to the Hospital Wing!'

Another sneeze prevented Harry from answering straight away. Once they'd subsided for a minute, Harry insisted that he was fine. An obvious fib.

'Harry, don't lie.' Hermione said, trying to be firm but friendly at the same time. 'But how on earth did you catch a cold? He wasn't sneezing or anything during the night was he?' she said, directing her question at Ron.

Ron shrugged. 

'Dunno.'

'That's a lot of help.' Hermione said, frowning at him.

Harry felt terrible. Now that he was awake, he didn't know how he could have slept with such a bad headache. He shivered. Hermione frowned again and felt his forehead.

'You're burning up!' She withdrew her head as though it had been burnt. 'Harry, you _should_ go and see Madam Pomfrey.'

Harry shook his head. This wasn't a good move. With an audible groan, he fell back onto his pillow, covering his face with his hand.

'Harry?' Ron said, quietly. 'Where were you last night?'

'What?' Hermione jerked round to look at him.

Harry closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness. The light had been making his eyes sting.

'I woke up just gone midnight,' said Ron. 'Harry's bed was empty, I assumed he'd gone to the bathroom.'

Harry could feel Hermione's eyes boring into him.

'Harry, where were you?' she asked, repeating the question.

'Hogsmeade,' he croaked. There didn't seem any point in lying.

'What! Why...?' Hermione was staring at him, he could tell, probably with her mouth hanging open.

Something soft and warm suddenly settled down beside him. Opening his eyes, he looked down into the bright amber eyes of his owl. She gave him a gentle nudge and hooted softly, and turned her head to look up at Ron and Hermione, then back to him.

You can tell them, she seemed to be saying. They'll understand.

Harry stared at her for a minute.  She stared back, and gave another soft reassuring hoot.  And so, with one hand stroking Hedwig, Harry told them.

*

Harry spent the rest of the weekend in bed. He flat out refused to go down to the Hospital Wing, simply wanting to stay put and not have to move.  It all seemed like too much effort and he didn't want Madam Pomfrey fussing over 'a stupid cold' as he so bluntly put it.

Ron and Hermione stayed with him most of the time, but they didn't discuss what Harry had told them. It seemed to be an unspoken rule to avoid the subject. 

Harry's cold, although very bad, passed quickly. Ron had dug out the rose quartz that Ginny had given him for his birthday and with Hermione, had figured out how to use it. It was a simple case of focusing the mind on the healing process, and directing positive thoughts to whatever needed to be healed. They'd tested it on a bruise Ron had from their last Quidditch session, before attempting it on Harry. He'd felt a little better after Ron had tried the spell on him and allowed Ron to hang onto the stone for the time being.

Apart from that, only Hedwig stayed with him round the clock, only leaving to hunt for an hour or two at nightfall. And Harry was grateful.

His friends were all he wanted or even needed right now. 

*

Unfortunately, as soon as Harry felt well enough to get to out of bed, the subject of his godfather came up again. Hermione made him repeat everything he'd seen and every word that had passed between him and Sirius, using Harry's Voice Box to record it. The memory of that day was enough to make him ill all over again. Instead a noticeable change came over him. He had become increasingly bad tempered and irritable. Ron, unsure of what to do, kept his distance while Hermione did her best to get Harry to talk about it. She gave up when Harry snapped at her to go away. Rather hurt, she did as she was told.

However, too much time alone, brooding over the same problems over and over, isn't a very healthy thing to do. But everything seemed to remind Harry of Sirius and that evil enchantress who was his girlfriend. The mere mention of that word was enough to make him vomit.

Hermione did try to rationalise the developing relationship. 

'You _do_ want him to be happy, don't you Harry?'

Harry grunted.

'So, if being with Professor Torr makes him happy, shouldn't this be a good thing?' she asked, but from a safe distance.

Harry didn't respond beyond a scowl.

'I know you don't like her, but couldn't you try? For Sirius?'

Harry shot Hermione a venomous look worthy of a Basilisk.  

Ron wasn't helping.

'D'you think they've ... er ... you know...' He shifted awkwardly, Harry and Hermione looking confused. 'You know!' he said, going slightly red in the face.  'That _thing_...?'

Harry got it.

'Ron, _don't_ finish that thought, I'll have to hurt you otherwise.' 

Ron heeded the warning and fell silent

'I wonder if they'll...' Hermione murmured to herself.

'What?' 

'Oh, um, I was just thinking that ... they might get ... married.' She said the last word so quietly that Harry almost didn't hear it. Almost.

'Marriage? _Marriage?_ How the _hell_ did we get to marriage?'

'Well, doesn't that sometimes happen when two people who really love each other decide to spend the rest of their lives together?' she babbled, wringing her hands.

'But ... Sirius and Tia wouldn't ... would they?' Harry bewilderedly looked from Ron to Hermione.

None of them knew what else to say.

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated._**

*****

**Author's Notes**

All right!  _All right!_  I feel bad enough about this already!  *nervously backs into a corner and hides*

**Elbereth94** –Aww, don't hate him! I feel _so_ guilty about the last two chapters. 

**Corrie **– Hi again!  Yay, it's nice to know people are enjoying this.

**FairyTale** – Greetings FairyTale!  Welcome to my little world of Harry Potter obsession!  Oh, yes, definitely - reviews _are_ indeed food for authors – they're all that keep me sane!!  Well, debatable I guess, but they certainly do wonders for motivation!  Particularly if they're miles long  ^_^   *cough-MorganD-cough*  

Don't worry about not having read the first one, it's a bit of a mess (to be honest it's a _complete _mess but never mind) It was probably really easy to miss it since it took me just over a year to write, postings were weeks apart and I changed the title about halfway through.  Total chaos.  So, major reconstruction and corrections, found a Beta (such a godsend!) and started re-posting.  Much better!  

Professor Torr was quite fun to write, especially the later chapters.  I like the challenge of writing original characters, preferably without making them out to be a Mary-Sue or something equally terrible.  ^_^  

**Evol norgara** –  Oh, that was 'fluff'?  Hhm, you'd like more of it?  I'll think about it. *sly grin*  I love the LotR elves!  Hhm, Legolas, *lapses into a wistful daydream*  Sorry?  Oh, don't mind me, I get sidetracked a lot.

**Evil spapple pie** – Glad you like the mirror, he was literately a last minute addition to the fic.  Fun to write though!   Uh huh, 'evil freak lady' is a pretty decent summary of Professor Torr, and I'm really confusing people who've read the first version, aren't I?  Never fear, the total loose end that was her motive has been neatly tied up in the later chapters.  Wahh!  The guilt never stops!  I didn't want to be so mean to Neville!  Ah, I'm sure he appreciates the Frog.

**Lil Lupin** – Too true – we aren't perfect, but we can damn well go through the Sirius fic with a fine toothcomb!  I really want that one to be as near perfect as possible.  Jeez, I'm hopeful, aren't I?  ^_^

**MorganD** – Hee hee, WAFFy! I like that!  Hey, the mirror got a decent reception – pretty good for a last minute addition.  I was racking my brain for another way to get Harry worked up about Sirius.  I'm pleased it worked out okay!

*groans*  Stupid time-scale mistake!  My Beta and I discovered two others in the fic!  One in the earlier chapters that I corrected, and another one nearer the end that I _still _need to correct!  Okay, I think what went wrong was the time that Harry was supposed to meet Sirius; must have put the wrong time down.  He was supposed to be there for about an hour waiting for him not the silly fifteen minutes you pointed out.  You know, maths was my worst subject at school – and still is!

*sniggers*  I couldn't resist!  I thought it sounded funny having Ron comment on the perfumed letter like that.  ^_^  I'd been reading some Remus/Sirius fics and found them very enjoyable.  Not that this is going to end up with those two together; that would total complicate matters – it's complicated enough as it is!

Would you believe that I'd previously spotted the exact same mistake with Buckbeak in the first edition, and swore to myself that I wasn't going to make the same one this time?  And what have I gone and done??  I did it again!  *bashes head on keyboard*  I forgot to change it! *bang!*  I _knew _that was there! *bang!* AAARRRGGHH!  *BANG*   … ouch … think I'll stop that now.  Doubt I did any damage … *tenderly feels bump*

I didn't change much in the confrontation between Sirius and Harry.  I felt I had it about right the first time – one of the few parts that didn't need much in the way corrections I'm pleased to say!

See you all next time!

~Voltora~


	15. Search for the Truth

**Chapter Fifteen; Search for the Truth**

Harry stayed in a dark mood over the next few days, silent and brooding.  Ron and Hermione were unsure as to what to do and thus settled on leaving him alone until he felt ready to talk to them.

When Harry finally approached them however, his mood didn't appear to have improved.  A cold fire seemed to burn in his eyes as he asked them to help him investigate Professor Tia Torr; although the way he phrased it, it sounded more like an order than a request.  In any case, Ron and Hermione willing agreed in the hopes that it would alleviate Harry's grim mood.

Very few Gryffindors were staying at Hogwarts over Christmas but they decided to avoid the common room, opting for privacy of the empty History of Magic classroom instead.

Hermione sat at Professor Binn's desk.  She'd brought along her notebook, the Voice Boxes and, as an afterthought, the letter Professor Torr had sent Sirius.

'Okay, so what do we know?' asked Ron, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

'Not enough,' Harry muttered, angrily kicking the waste bin over, spilling its contents and deliberately treading on some crumbled parchment.

Ron shifted uncomfortably, glancing across the room at Hermione.  She looked up from her notebook, over to Harry, then back at Ron.  She shrugged.

'Well,' she said, sucking on her quill thoughtfully, 'I think that the first thing we ought to do is to find out about her background.'

'She's a Quidditch coach, right?' said Ron.

'Supposedly,' Harry growled.

Ron threw him a look, then continued, 'How about we write to Krum?  Ask if he knows her?'

'That's a good idea,' said Hermione, brightly.  'Harry, why don't you write to Oliver Wood?  He may be able to tell us something,'

Harry nodded, 'Yeah, alright.'

Ron agreed.

'Course, it would be a lot easier if we just asked Siri-'

_'No!'_

Harry glared furiously at Ron who looked affronted.

'But Sirius-'

'I'm _not_ asking _him_ anything,' Harry said shortly.

'I never said you should,' Ron bristled.

'But that's what you meant, wasn't it?'

Hermione broke in. 'But Harry...' he turned his steely glare on her. 'Maybe it would be a ... a good idea ... if - if you did-'

'Forget it!' Harry snapped. 'I'm _not_ going to talk to him! Not to apologise - not for _any_ reason! Got it?'

Without even waiting for an answer, Harry stormed out and slammed the door, leaving Ron and Hermione speechless.  For nearly five minutes they sat in stunned silence.

'Wow, mood swing alert!' Ron muttered.

'Poor Harry,' Hermione murmured softly.

'Poor Harry?' Ron asked, aghast. 'How can you say that when he's being such a jerk?'

'Ron, how do you think Harry feels right now?' she shot back. 'He's ... disliked ... Professor Torr ever since she arrived,'

'That's putting it mildly,' Ron grumbled, sitting on the desk top.

'And now he's found out that his godfather has ... um ... feelings for her, in a very distressing manner I might add; Sirius ditches Harry to see her and they have a huge row over it. I don't blame him for being cranky and irritable. But Harry does want to talk to him, I know he does.'

'How'd you figure that?' asked Ron, picking up Professor Torr's letter.

'He brought up the prospect of apologising first. He must have been thinking about it,' she sighed,  'I don't think he meant to yell at Sirius the way he did.'

'I guess.  But then again … I've never seen him act like that before, not even close,' said Ron grimly, peering closely at the letter.  He sniffed. 'Phew, this smells.'

Hermione toyed with the Voice Boxes.

'I'm not sure what Harry thinks he can prove about her – okay, he doesn't like her dating Sirius, but that doesn't mean she's evil.  As far as I can see, her only fault is a dreadful singing voice.'

'You'll figure it out,' said Ron, smiling encouragingly. 

'I hope so,' she sighed, rubbing her temples wearily.  'But dubbing your voice in the wizarding world is probably as normal as changing your eye colour with contact lenses in the Muggle world.'

'You have pretty eyes.'

Hermione looked up at Ron, wondering if she'd heard correctly.

'Excuse me?'

Ron smiled warmly, moving round the desk to stand behind her.  He laid a hand on her shoulder.

'You work too hard,' he said, smoothly taking the Voice Boxes from her hand and laying them down on the desk.  'You need to relax.'

'Ron, I appreciate the thought, but –'

She faltered as Ron leaned forward.  For a frozen moment, Hermione simply gazed into his eyes, hesitant.

Slowly, his mouth brushed hers.  When she didn't pull away, he planted a soft kiss on her lips.  Closing her eyes, she reached up and kissed him back, allowing him to prolong the kiss.  His hand slid from her shoulder, coming to rest at her waist.  Wrapping his arms around her, Ron gently lifted her from the chair, drawing her close.

A part of Hermione's happily melting brain was just trying to figure out what she ought to do with her hands when she felt Ron's own hands slide lower, past her waist –

_'Ron!'_

Jerking back, Hermione pulled out of his embrace, staring wide-eyed, feeling her face burn.  Ron, startled, had stumbled backwards, gazing blearily at her like he'd just woken up.

'Ron,' Hermione croaked breathlessly,  'What were – why – what was …' she trailed off, uncertainly.

Ron rubbed his eyes.

'I – I … er …'

Looking up at her, Ron's eyes widened.  He went rather pale, then flushed a deep scarlet.

'Er … Hermione, I …'

They stared at each other.

Ron dropped his gaze to the floor, looking very dazed.

'I – I'm sorry, I didn't mean –'

'You … you didn't?' Hermione's face fell.

Ron winced, flustering. 'No … I mean, yes … no, what I meant was … er …'

He stared at her for a moment longer, then grabbed his cloak, hastily making for the door, avoiding her eyes.  'I – I'm sorry,' he stammered, and left.

Stunned and confused, Hermione stayed where she was, not sure if she wanted to go after him and demand an explanation … or to let it go.  Hesitantly, she raised her fingertips to her lips.

Abruptly, she turned and gathered everything up, sweeping it all into her bag and left the classroom.  Instead of returning to Gryffindor Tower she hurriedly turned her steps towards the library, wishing hopelessly that some considerate person may have written a book on why life was so complicated.

*

Feeling rather light-headed, Ron slowly made his way up the staircase to the dormitory.  He entered the dormitory to discover that Harry hadn't come back. He stood in the doorway, cloak over his arm, uncertain. Should he go and look for him? Just to see if he was okay?

Ron shook his head. Why bother? Harry was in a bad enough mood as it was. There was no point in trying to talk to him if Harry was not prepared to be civil.

_It's Sirius he's mad at,_ Ron thought angrily as he stuffed the Cloak under Harry's bed and climbed into his own.  _He has no right to take it out on us._

*

Harry sat alone in the cold and damp 'out of order' girls' toilets on the first floor. Pulling the hem of his robes out of the puddles seeping across the floor, Harry wished he hadn't walked out on Ron and Hermione. They were only trying to help after all. He'd immediately regretted snapping at both of them and wanted to apologise ... but he'd just got so _angry_ ... he'd lashed out at them for no good reason!

Harry sighed, leaning against the cold stone sink. Now that the anger had left him, shame was setting in. Utterly miserable, Harry slumped against the wall, staring blankly at the rippling puddles at his feet.

Drip ... drip ... drip …

A tap was leaking; the water droplets hitting the stone basin, creating a hollow echo.

Head in his hands, Harry forced himself to take a few deep breaths. He felt horribly ashamed of what he'd yelled at Sirius, the look of hurt and shock on his godfather's face ... his response to Harry's accusations...

A single tear slid down his cheek.

Sirius hadn't meant any of it, had he? Harry didn't really mean what he'd said about him, just the parts about Tia.

_Tia!_

Fists clenched, Harry almost punched the cubicle wall to vent his frustrations, but he restrained himself. He'd only end up hurting his hand.

Drip ... drip ... drip …

'Are you okay?'

Harry jumped, slipping on the damp, slimy floor tiles. The ghost of Moaning Myrtle was drifting above the sink, having just floated in through the mirror. She gazed mournfully down at Harry, a glum expression on her semi-transparent face.

Harry hastily wiped his eyes dry, turning away slightly.

'Harry? Are you okay?' Myrtle asked again, gliding out of the mirror, drifting lazily in front of him.

'Yeah ... I mean ... I'm fine.' Harry shoved his hands into his pockets and forced a small smile. 'Never better.'

He turned to leave but Myrtle swooped down and blocked the door.

'Don't leave,' she said,  'If you're going to be miserable you might as well stay.  You haven't been to see me for ages.  You promised you'd come visit me.'

Harry sighed.

'I'm sorry Myrtle, but I'm not in the mood to talk right now,' he said shortly.

Myrtle's shoulders slumped.  Her lip quivered.

'Okay, fine!' she pouted, and sniffed loudly.  'No one wants to talk to Myrtle … when you're dead people don't want to talk to you anymore … not that anybody ever talked to me when I was alive … except to tease me.'

A ghostly tear trickled down her transparent cheek as she fumbled in her pockets for a tissue.

Harry tried to look at least semi-sympathetic but couldn't mask his impatience.

'Er ... Myrtle? Could you move, please? I need to get back to Gryffindor Tower.'

Myrtle continued to wail, burying her face in her ghostly hands, moaning incoherently about how woefully unappreciated she'd been while she was alive, and didn't budge.

Losing patience completely, Harry walked straight through her, getting a cold shock in the process, and hastily left the bathroom.

Myrtle jerked her head up, spun on her heel and wailed after him. 'That was a really lousy thing to do to a ghost! Don't you have _any_ respect for the dead?'

*

Hermione looked up from writing her letter to Viktor as Ron pushed his scrambled eggs around on his plate. The Great Hall was bustling with students helping themselves to breakfast, but Harry wasn't among them.

'Ron?'

No answer other than the scraping of his fork against the plate.

'Ron?'

'Hmm?' He looked up, distracted.

'Are you going to put those poor eggs out of their misery and eat them?' Hermione asked with a grim smile.

Ron morosely stabbed at them with the fork.

'Think I'll torture them a while longer,' he said, making a weak attempt at a grin.

Nervously, Hermione opened her mouth to say something, just as Ron did the same.  Abruptly, they both stopped.  

Hesitantly, Ron cleared his throat. 'Hermione?'

She raised her eyes slowly from her letter, her brown eyes uncertain.

'Er … about last night, I – '

A shadow fell over them.

Ron immediately fell silent, and they both looked up to see Harry standing behind them.

'Hey, Harry!' Hermione exclaimed brightly, but though she was smiling, her eyes darted anxiously over Harry's face to Ron's and back again.

'Hi,' said Harry weakly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Ron looked up at him. His face was impassive.

For a few moments they just looked at each other in silence.

Harry noisily cleared his throat. 

'Look ... erm ... about last night ... I ... er ... didn't mean to snap at you both and ... um ...' Nervously he ran his fingers through his hair and hurried on. 'I know I've been a real idiot lately - just got a lot on my mind right now - it's no excuse but ... er ... I just wanna say that ... you know ... that I'm sorry.'

They sat there, not moving, both stony faced.

'Guys?'

Ron and Hermione exchanged a brief look before they both turned away from him.

Harry stood there, mouth open in utter disbelief. A few moments passed in silence. Wordlessly, resigned, Harry turned to go.

'Apology accepted.' 

Harry spun back round. Ron and Hermione were both grinning up at him. Hermione pulled a chair out. 

'Are you going to have something to eat or do you want to watch Ron mutilate his eggs into a bloody pulp and still expect them to be edible?'

Cracking a smile, Harry joined them.

*

Late that evening, the three of them went up to the Owlery to find Pigwidgeon. Ron suggested that they send a different owl to Krum since Pig would probably exhaust himself flying across Europe at full speed, so it made more sense to send him to Oliver Wood instead.

Harry didn't want to send Hedwig off on such a long journey in the middle of winter, choosing one of the school eagle owls to deliver Krum's letter in her place. Hedwig did seemed a bit put out about his decision but seemed satisfied when Harry told her that if an emergency came up, he would be relying on her should she be needed. 

Hermione released the eagle owl, which flew out of the window and headed off over the forest. Pig fluttered up and down on his perch, impatient to go.

'All right - hang on - sit still!' Ron muttered, tying the parchment to his leg. The moment it was secure, Pig motored his wings, hummingbird style, and whizzed out of the window with a shrill hoot of excitement.

Harry watched until they were both out of sight. His gaze dropped to the base of the mountains in the distance, then to the distant dark mass that was the village of Hogsmeade.  Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ron and Hermione watching him anxiously, as though he was about to have yet another explosive mood swing.

Slowly, he turned to face them.

'You know you don't have to help me with this – '

'Sure we do.' Ron insisted. 'Don't personally agree with your opinion of Professor Torr, you know that, but ... well ...' he trailed off, looking at Hermione to help him out.

'Harry, we're your friends,' she said firmly. 'If we're not going to help you, who will?'

Without having to speak another word, the three friends left the Owlery together.

*

The Christmas holiday finally ended, much to Harry's relief. The castle was once again filled with students for the New Year.

The bad weather held off for their first Care of Magical Creatures class in January. True, it was still very chilly and the sky was overcast but the sun was making regular appearances, however briefly.

Hagrid had told them earlier that they had finished with Fwoopers and that they were now required to do a group project.

'What do you reckon this project is going to be?' Ron asked as they made their way across the lawn to Hagrid's hut. 'If we have to raise Flobberworms or those Skrewt things again I will conveniently fall ill every lesson until the project is over!'

Hermione scowled at him. 'You can't skive lessons, Ron! The O.W.L exams are coming, we have to-'

'I know! I was only kidding!' Ron snapped back, though he instantly looked pained.  Hermione avoided his eyes.

Harry raised an eyebrow curiously but thought nothing more of it.  Like Ron, he was feeling a little apprehensive about Hagrid's 'project'.

Once the class had gathered outside his cabin, Hagrid emerged, carrying a number of large wooden crates. Many of the students eyed them warily as Hagrid set them down on the grass in front of them.

'Right then,' he said, smiling broadly at them. 'Yer'll have ter spilt yerselves up inta groups o' four or five for this, cos I've only got a few of these guys.' He indicated the crates, one of which gave a violent shudder as whatever was inside clambered to get out.

The class obediently divided themselves up into groups; Neville joining Harry, Ron and Hermione as Dean and Seamus paired up with Lavender and Parvati. Malfoy was (as expected) with Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy Parkinson, looking very smug, joined them.

'Now, yer gonna have ter work together and share the work in takin' care of these little guys, cause yer gonna have em for about a month.'

'And what are these ... _guys _... exactly?' Malfoy drawled, half exasperated, half bored.

Hagrid glared stonily at Malfoy's sneering face before choosing to ignore him and continued to address the class.

'Will one person from each group come and pick a crate?'

Ron went first, picking a crate at random and cautiously carried it back to the others.

'Well, it's not very heavy, that's something at least,' he muttered as he set it down. 'So on the plus side, I don't think they're Skrewts.'

'Go on! Open em up!' Hagrid called excitedly, beetle black eyes darting from crate to crate expectantly.

The students looked nervously at each other as they knelt down on the grass around their own crate, before cautiously reaching for the lid.

Harry gripped the edge of the lid tightly and pulled it off with a sharp tug. Hermione slowly leant forward and peered inside.

'Oh!'

Hermione jumped back, startled, as a small furry face was poked over the edge of the box.

It looked like a small silver-grey cat, but the beautiful thick silvery fur was spotted black and its ears were enormous! They looked far too large for the head to support. Bright golden eyes swept over Harry, Ron and Hermione before coming to rest on Neville. The little creature almost seemed to smile as it leapt out of the box, straight into Neville's lap. Neville froze, watching the animal fearfully as it flicked its lion-like tasselled tail about restlessly.

'Anyone know what they are?' Hagrid asked, looking around as the lithe animals sprang out of their crates.

'They're Kneazles,' said Hermione promptly, her hand in the air.

'Tha's right, five points for Gryffindor,' said Hagrid. 'Can't mistake em for an ordinary house cat, hard ta confuse em with anything really,' he chuckled, reaching down to pat the sandy-yellow Kneazle chosen by Lavenders group, which mewed softly.

The grey Kneazle, now that it had got itself comfortable in Neville's lap, sat up and started to groom its spotted coat with a long bright pink tongue. Neville reached a shaking hand out towards the Kneazle. It stopped preening to look up at him, sitting perfectly still. Slowly ... ever so slowly ... Neville gently stroked the animal's head. The Kneazle closed its eyes blissfully and purred loudly.

'Hey, I think it likes you, Neville,' said Harry as the feline curled up in his lap.

'Real clever, they are. Gotta keep ya eyes on em though, have a habit of wandrin' off if they get bored.' 

Hagrid looked very pleased that the lesson was going so well. Indeed, now that the students had got over the initial fears of Skrewt hatchlings, they were soon petting, stroking and playing with the Kneazles, all of which were purring their appreciation of the attention.

Hagrid spent the rest of the lesson explaining how to care for the Kneazles and the group diary he wanted them to keep, as they were now responsible for them.

After dinner, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville headed for the library to start researching the care of Kneazles.

Their Kneazle appeared to have taken a great liking to Neville and at that moment was draped around his neck like a large furry scarf. Madam Pince, the librarian, kept peering round the shelves at them, as though expecting the Kneazle to start using the tables and chairs as convenient scratching posts. Twice, she sauntered past, banishing a feather duster along the books behind them, like she was tempted to flick the little creature off Neville's shoulders. The Kneazle paid her no mind, as did Harry and the others.

'I think it needs a name,' said Hermione. 'We can't just call it ... well ... It.'

'I suppose so, but ... is it a boy or a girl?' said Ron over the top of Harry's copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them._

Hermione promptly consulted a book entitled _Fuzzy Critters of the British Isles_. 'Judging by its size, colour and markings ... I think it's a she.'

'Great! So what are we going to name her?' asked Neville as he tickled the animal under her chin.

'What's wrong with Dot?' Ron asked. 'You know, the coat markings.'

'How original,' Harry smirked. 'Poor things probably get names like Spot or Freckles all the time.'

'She's not exactly 'spotted' though, is she?' said Hermione. 'I mean, they look smudged.'

'I think they look sort of like stars,' Neville piped up.

'Then how about Stella?' Harry suggested.

The Kneazle growled softly.

'I'll take that as a 'no', then, shall I?'

'I know a good one! Astrid!' said Ron.

The Kneazle stopped growling, paused as if in thought, then purred loudly.

'You like the name, Astrid?' Hermione asked.

Astrid mewed happily.

*

Hermione quickly worked out a system of responsibility for the group care of Astrid. Dividing up the lessons went thus; Hermione would take Astrid during Herbology and Arithmancy while the boys were in Divination, Ron would have her for Charms and Astronomy, Neville for the duration of History of Magic and Potions, which left Harry with Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts.

It would vary who would take Astrid during their spare time since Harry and Ron both had Quidditch on a regular basis. Neville offered to take her whenever possible. This was hardly a surprise, as he'd obviously become rather attached to her in such a short space of time. Neville was overjoyed that Astrid viewed his toad, Trevor as a little playmate rather than a tasty treat. Crookshanks was also carefully introduced and, although the two felines seemed to tolerate each other well enough, they mostly ignored one another.

Harry was glad that he had so much homework to get through as well as Quidditch to focus on. It distracted him from thinking too much about Sirius, during the day anyway. But at night when he couldn't sleep, Harry couldn't help thinking about his godfather and Professor Torr.

He wanted so much to be able to go and apologise for what he'd said, but ... well ... what could he say? Just saying 'I'm sorry' didn't seem anywhere near enough to suffice. Harry did try to write a letter to him, but upon rereading he'd found that it just didn't seem sincere at all. Talking to Sirius face-to-face seemed to be the only other way, but what could he honestly say? 'Sorry for what I said earlier but I still loath your girlfriend's guts'? No, that was just plain stupid and would undoubtedly get him into even more trouble … however true it was.

But if Harry had found Professor Torr unbearable before, it was nothing compared to his opinion now.

Professor Torr had waltzed into the classroom for their first lesson back and had gone into peals of girlish delight as she spotted the Kneazle.

Parvati proudly showed off the sandy-yellow Kneazle that had been named Sparkle by herself and Lavender but also dubbed Connor by Dean and Seamus. There had been a scathing shouted argument across the common room already about it, but as their Kneazle responded to both names, it seemed pretty pointless. Nevertheless, Professor Torr fussed over Sparkle/Connor as if it were a baby, going on about how adorable he was and how she wished that she could have one.

Astrid had been sitting on Harry's lap to begin with, but once Professor Torr entered the room, had suddenly opted for being under his seat instead. It wasn't until the end of the lesson that she emerged and permitted Harry to pick her up.

'Oh!' Professor Torr's face lit up. 'Mr Potter, why didn't you say you had one too?' She hurried over, sickly sweet smile in place and reached out her hand with inch long polished nails, to pat the Kneazle.

Harry felt Astrid go suddenly tense in his arms. Next thing he knew -

_'HHHHHHHHIISSSSSSS!'_

Professor Torr jerked her hand back, crying out in pain and shock. Several long bloody scratches could be seen across the back of her hand, wrist and halfway up her forearm. The sleeve of her mint-green robe was slashed to ribbons. Astrid hissed angrily again as Harry struggled to keep hold of the wriggling cat.

The rest of the class had frozen, looking horrified. Ron hurried forward.

'Professor! Are you okay?'

Professor Torr, clutching her mauled hand, gave Ron a dewy smile.

'Yes, of course. Don't panic everyone, it's only a little scratch.'

With that, she went back to her desk, picked up her wand and promptly cast a simple healing spell to stop the bleeding.

She dismissed the class but strode over to Harry before he could leave.

Harry held Astrid firmly to his chest, despite being half tempted to allow her to launch herself at Professor Torr again and claw those stupid violet eyes out. Professor Torr tried to smile but it faltered awkwardly as she nervously eyed Astrid, who was growling deep in her throat, ears flattened against her head, eyes narrowed. Keeping her distance was definitely a wise move on Professor Torr's part.

'Well, Mr Potter, I do hope you're being very careful with that little beast.' She cast a disdainful look down her nose at Astrid. 'It wouldn't do to have any more unfortunate accidents now, would it?'

Harry stared straight back into her eyes. Professor Torr met his stare but looked away first. Harry smirked inwardly. Whether or not he should take her words as a threat, directed at Astrid or him personally, he wasn't going to back down to a fake. He stroked Astrid's fluffy head, letting her know that she'd done the right thing.

Noticing this, Professor Torr waved her hand as if it had been nothing.

'Of course, felines can be quite vicious at times, can't they, Harry?' 

Harry noted her use of his first name rather than her normal use of 'Mr Potter'.

'Can't really tame them ... unlike dogs ... gain their trust and they'd do anything you ask of them,' she smiled, showing all of her perfectly straight white teeth. 'I'm really more of a dog person than a cat person, wouldn't you agree Harry?'

Harry glared angrily up at her.  A boiling rage was building somewhere deep inside of him; there was a pounding in his ears he hadn't felt since Aunt Marge had insulted his parents …

Abruptly, Harry turned on his heel and marched out of the classroom, holding Astrid a bit tighter than necessary, causing her to mew in discomfort.

Professor Torr's fluttering laugh echoed out of the room behind him as Harry stalked away, positively seething with fury.

*

Determined not to screw up his friendship with them again, Harry went straight to Ron and Hermione, dragged them out to the courtyard and told them about what had just happened.

Hermione was absolutely appalled that Professor Torr would have referred to Sirius in that way, especially in front of Harry ... _to_ Harry in fact!

Ron didn't say anything for a minute. He sat deep in thought, not looking at anything in particular before digging through his bag to pull out a book; Harry's copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. _Ron started flipping the pages, Harry impatiently paced among the stone statues of owls, biting his tongue to avoid asking Ron what he was looking for. Hermione was perched on the edge of the elaborate water fountain, which was the centrepiece for the courtyard. Astrid was balanced beside her, inserting a dainty paw into the sparking water in a vain attempt to snag a fish.

Ron found the page he was searching for and skimmed the passage there. He frowned, and then held out the book.

'You two might want to read this.' He pointed to the entry on Kneazles.

Hermione took the book and read the passage aloud.

_'A small cat-like creature with flecked, speckled or spotted fur, outside ears and a tail like a lion's, the Kneazle is intelligent, independent and occasionally aggressive, though if it takes a liking to a witch or wizard, it makes an excellent pet. The Kneazle has an uncanny ability to detect unsavoury or suspicious characters_...' Hermione trailed off, face grim.

'I don't know about you, Hermione,' Ron said quietly. 'but I'd say that Astrid reacted to Professor Torr in a pretty drastic way.'

'Goes without saying, really,' Hermione muttered as she reread the passage.

She turned to look at Harry. Harry was fidgeting like he had too much energy and no idea what to do with it.

'Let's go to the library,' said Ron, firmly. Hermione and Harry both stared at him in surprise. That suggestion normally came from Hermione. 'I think I've got an idea.'

*

'A love spell!'

Ron dumped a small stack of books onto the table in front of Harry and Hermione. They all had titles such as _'The Key To Unlock The Heart', 'Forbidden Desires Just For You!_' and _'He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not; What To Do To Win His Heart'._

'That has to be it!' Ron picked one up and thumbed the pages, searching. 'There's got to be something in here on how to break a love spell.'

Hermione, although she'd been rather quiet for a while (probably thrown by Ron suddenly being the first to jump into the books for research), eagerly grabbed a book and turned to the index, running her finger down the page.

'Maybe there's something to reverse the effects of a love spell...'

Harry perked up at this and dove into the pages of _'Romance Charms and Enchantments'_ searching for anything that might be of some use.

Anything to break Tia's hold on Sirius.

To get his godfather back.

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

*

**Author's Notes**

**Evol norgara – **Well, I've always felt that it's impossible to have any kind of relationship, whether it's parent/child, boyfriend/girlfriend or best friends, without arguing once in a while.  And they do tend to be over stupid things, don't they?  I feel bad about making them fight but it had to be I'm afraid.

Yep her name is Tia Torr.  It's actually an anagram of a word that I felt described her in the first edition – not too sure if it did by the end or even if it applies now … jeez, I'm rambling here.  I'll shut up.

But oh, passwords I like! ^_^  Frogs Breath I got from watching Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas – very cool animation and a good source of inspiration for passwords.****

**MorganD – **Hey, we don't complain!  We love them!  Ah, that was a favourite chapter?  Yay!  It's one of mine too.  ^_^  Of course Hedwigs' a clever owl – she delivers lots of letters without addresses and finds the addressee wherever they are; wish our postal service was that clever. ^_^****

**Elbereth94 –  **Nooooo!  Please don't hate him!  Urgh, I feel terrible!  The guilt is just piling on and on!

**Evil spapple pie – **Evil freak lady strikes again!  Her motive isn't fully explained until nearer the end, funnily enough. ^_^  So bare with the confusion for the time being – it'll make sense eventually, promise!  Will they get married?  Hhhm, early stages yet so not telling!****

**Christy – **Christy I am so sorry I missed you last time!  More guilt!  I checked the reviews on Monday and didn't think I'd get anymore so I didn't drop you a line at the end of that last chapter.  Sorry again!  Yes those two are stubborn but Harry does want to talk to him so there's hope yet.****

**Lil Lupin – **Really?  I honestly don't remember you pointing _that_ one out.  I remember the other one for when Remus and Sirius meet up with them in chapter 10 but this one? *shakes head*  Nope, memory like a leaky cauldron – sorry!

**Corrie – **Thank you!  ^_^****

**Vanessa –** Thank you, I'm glad you liked it so far but I feel I'd better make my reasons clear as to why Harry and Sirius behaved the way they did in the last chapter.  Firstly, Harry was extremely miffed that Sirius didn't keep his promise, especially when he's one of the few people that Harry really trusts.  So the fact that Sirius went behind his godson's back, making him think that something terrible had happened only to be found with his 'girlfriend', well, surely Harry wasn't going to be in the best of understanding moods.

Next is the factor that Harry is a teenager.  Mood swings alert!  Mood swings alert!  People of that age do tend to be deeply confused by all emotions and predicaments.  Arguments with those you love are natural occurrences so why would Harry and Sirius be any different?  Harry saying that he hates Sirius is simply a 'spur of the moment' thing; the poor guy's very confused and upset – you tend to say stuff you don't mean in those situations.  And as you can see from this chapter, he does fall into a depressing mood too.  He's only human. 


	16. All in Love is Fair

**Chapter Sixteen; All In Love Is Fair **

'... add the sliced lemur tongue ... mix in just a few drops of bat blood ... Ron could you crush that toadstone for me, please? Harry, pass me that bottle of spider milk, will you?' Hermione ran her finger down the long list of ingredients as she stirred the bubbling potion with her other hand. 

After nearly a week of researching in the library, Ron had discovered a spell that could reveal the presence of a love spell. They'd immediately retreated to Moaning Myrtle's toilet to start work on the spell, just as they'd done with the Polyjuice Potion a few years ago. The actual spell required a specially formulated powder, and since it wasn't readily available from the students store cupboard nor from any of the local shops in Hogsmeade, they had to start from scratch. 

Which was proving to be quite disgusting to say the least. 

'Oh, gross!' Ron grimaced as he examined a jar of fresh puffin spleen and mouse lung. 'Have you ever wondered how these spells and potions are actually discovered? I mean ... who in their right mind wakes up one morning and just decides to mix up all kind of foul ... _body bits _... throw in some weeds and other unmentionables ... just to see what it might do? And what about those idiots who volunteer to try them! Do they even know what they're-' 

'Oh, Ron, stop it!' Hermione screwed up her face in disgust. 'You're making me feel sick!' 

'I'm just saying-' 

'Well, _don't_!' 

'Well, then how can you do this,' he pointed at the potion now simmering on the cistern of the toilet, 'without the risk of vomiting-' 

'Ron, _shut up_!' she screeched, going slightly green. 'I just try _not_ to think about it, that's how!' Nose wrinkled, Hermione eyed the rest of the components listed in the book apprehensively. 

Unfortunately, there were a few 'unmentionable' ingredients that they'd been unable to find, and as none of them were willing to risk raiding Snape's private stores again, Hermione had sent an owl-order to the apothecary's in Diagon Alley that evening. Providing that they actual had any of the ingredients in stock, they would be delivered by the following morning. 

Harry was at one of the stone sinks, trying not to spill any viper venom as he struggled to open the jar. 

'So, how does this spell work, exactly? Isn't it supposed to be a powder?' he asked. 

'Once everything's in the potion we have to boil it, evaporate all the liquid,' Hermione said as she sprinkled the crushed toadstone onto the bubbling surface. 'We should be left with a kind of sticky paste which will dissolve into a powdery form after a few hours or so.' 

Harry sullenly handed her the venom jar. 

'Why don't we just find something that'll reverse a love spell? We could be wasting our time with this.' 

'Harry, we need to find out if there _is_ a love spell on Sirius at all. We can't cast a Reversing Spell on something that might not be there ... we don't know what effects that might have!' 

Glumly, Harry nodded, then set to work on slicing up some caterpillars, praying that this would work. 

* 

On Saturday morning in the Great Hall, the post-owls flocked in through the windows, a huge cloud of brown and grey. Among them were two eagle owls carrying a small crate, which they lowered, very carefully onto the floor beside Hermione, catching the attention of several students and even Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. Thinking quickly, Hermione made a show of getting all excited over these 'really advanced books on Magical Theory' that she'd ordered from Flourish and Blotts, before hauling the crate out of the Hall. This earned her some very weird looks and a few rotating fingers by the side of the head in the universal sign of insanity. 

Next moment, a small ball of dark feathers made a belly flop into Harry's cornflakes. 

'Pig!' 

Ron reached over and fished out the bedraggled owl. For once, Pigwidgeon seemed to have used up all his usual energy. Sitting up in Ron's cupped hands, the little owl gave a violent shake, fluffing up his feathers and wearily held up his leg with a feeble hoot of relief. 

'About time,' Harry mumbled as Ron passed him Oliver Wood's reply. 

Harry and Ron slipped off to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as soon as they'd finished breakfast to find Hermione rummaging through the box muttering, '... yeti hair ... spine of shrake ... oh, good, they _did _have poison arrow frog mucus!' 

'Okay, this getting _beyond_ gross, you know that, don't you?' Ron said, clutching his stomach uncertainly. 'Do we have to do this now? Right after we've eaten?' 

'If you're going to be such a sissy, fine, you can go Ron. I won't stop you,' said Hermione smiling sweetly as she upturned a jar of a foul smelling slime into the cauldron. 

Without a word, Ron snatched up a packet of yellow rose thorns and grudgingly set about crushing them with a vengeance. 

Harry ripped open the parchment envelope and pulled out Oliver Wood's reply. 

_Dear Harry, _

_Great to hear from you! Congrats on becoming Captain, the team couldn't have made a better choice. Hope you're not going to be too lenient with those twins, now. I spent a long time whipping them into shape and you'll want them to stay that way! _

_As for this professor of yours, I don't recognise the name. I've asked around but no one I know has heard of Miss Torr. Then again, she could have been coaching in the U.S or somewhere else in Europe, I don't know of anyone from those areas personally, but she's definitely not on the British scene. _

_Sorry I can't be of more help. _

_Good Luck for the season!_

_Oliver Wood. _

Face grim, Harry folded up the letter. Hermione gave him an encouraging sort of smile. 

'There's still Viktor. We ought to wait until we get a reply from him.' 

'Sure.' 

'Hey, er ... guys?' 

Harry and Hermione looked over at Ron. He was leaning against the sinks, reading the spell book. 

'What?' 

'Have either of you read this bit?' 

'Which bit?' Harry asked. 

'The part that tells you how to use the powder.' 

They peered over Ron's shoulder to read it. 

'Oh dear,' Hermione mumbled. 'Didn't see that.' 

'How are we gonna manage _that_?' Ron asked in disbelief. 

Harry stared at the book in silence. 

Hermione bit her lip. 

'Um ... Harry? Are you sure you want to go through with this?' 

He nodded. 

'Well ... you might not like this but I think I know how we _might_ just be able to pull this off...' 

* 

'That's it?' Ron asked. 

Hermione nodded as she held up a vial containing the completed powder. It was a strange glow-in-the dark pink in colour, and there wasn't a lot of it, considering how much potion there'd been. Harry finished tying the post-bag onto Hedwig who was eyeing the powder curiously. Pigwidgeon had just left, a note for Sirius clutched in his talons. 

'Is this going to work, Hermione?' Harry asked, looking somewhat nervous. 

Hermione smiled reassuringly but her eyes darted after Pig, clearly apprehensive. 

'It will, Harry, don't worry!' It sounded like she was trying to convince herself rather than Harry. 'The only thing is, we need perfect timing-' 

'With no practise,' Ron interjected none too helpfully. 

'... because we'll only have one chance.' Hermione admitted. 

Harry nodded, then ever so carefully poured the powder into a little paper bag, sealed it tight and dropped it into the post-bag. Hedwig stretched her wings and looked expectantly up at Harry, as though she were waiting to be told who this odd little package should be delivered to. 

'Are you sure Hedwig can do this? It's not the easiest thing to do in flight.' 

'She can do it,' Harry insisted. 'I know she can.' 

'Well, are we ready?' Ron asked. 

Harry nodded and grabbed the Invisibility Cloak. 

* 

Harry waited on the edge of the forest behind Hogsmeade, impatiently wandering round in circles. The sun was setting on the horizon, the sky turning dusky pink and yellow. Sitting down on the ground, then pacing the dirt road, Harry couldn't sit still, constantly looking around. 

'Harry, will you keep still? You're making me queasy going round in circles like that,' Ron's voice called from the other side of the trees. 

Harry ignored him because a black dog had just appeared up the road, walking slowly towards him. Harry waited, not looking in Ron's direction and praying that Hermione and Hedwig were ready. Sirius stopped a few feet away. They looked at each other in uneasy silence. Harry looked down at his feet, wishing he knew what to say. When he looked back up, Sirius had transformed back to human form. 

'Hello, Harry,' he said cautiously, still keeping his distance. He wasn't smiling. 

'Hi,' said Harry, feeling hesitant. 

They fell awkwardly silent for a minute.

'You ... er ... wanted to talk to me?' Sirius held up the letter that Pig had brought him. 

Harry winced. The scratches Hedwig had given Sirius were visible and they looked deep. Harry averted his eyes and spoke to his feet. 

'I didn't mean for Hedwig to attack you,' he mumbled. 

'That's okay. She was only trying to protect you,' said Sirius in an offhand sort of way. 

Silence again. 

Sirius cleared his throat. 'Look, Harry ... I didn't mean to lose my temper at you like that - it was completely uncalled for.' 

Harry felt sick with shame. _Apologise, you idiot_, his brain screeched at him. _Now's your chance! _

'I want to know why you didn't tell me,' he said at last, trying to keep his voice steady. 'About Professor Torr.' 

'Her name's Tia.' 

'I know.' 

Sirius sighed, searching for words. 'Harry, I was going to tell you ... I just wasn't sure _how_ to tell you.' Harry nodded, accepting the answer. 'I wanted to maybe ... introduce you two ... outside of Hogwarts ... I certainly didn't want you to find out the way you did.' 

Harry looked up at his godfather. 'So, you like her? A lot?' 

'Yes,' he nodded. 'I do. But that doesn't mean I've stopped caring about you.' Sirius took a few steps towards Harry, slowly. He seemed ready to forgive and forget. 

'Does she know about me? That you're my godfather?' 

'Of course.' 

Harry turned away slightly, looking over into the trees. Now that the sun had gone, night was rapidly closing in. Hoping that Ron could see him, Harry gave the signal; shoving his glasses up his nose, before turning his head to speak to Sirius. 

'I don't like her,' he said firmly. 

'I gathered that,' said Sirius evenly. 'From what you said last time we spoke.' 

Harry's throat tightened. Should he just say sorry now and hope for the best? Looking past Sirius, Harry could see a white owl emerge from the woods, maybe two hundred metres or so away, flying straight towards them. Harry looked back at Sirius. 

'I didn't mean to yell at you – '

'Its alright,' Sirius insisted. 'You were upset – ' 

Eyes shifted to Hedwig again. Having seen Harry, she dropped lower, closer ... closer ... on silent wings she glided down quickly ... right in line with Sirius. Fingers crossed. 

Not yet ... not just yet ... 

'NOW!' Harry shouted. 

'What the ...?' Sirius, confused, turned and looked up. 

Hedwig, with incredible agility, went into a barrel roll. At the same time, a voice shouted from the trees, _'DIFFINDO!'_

The spell hit the paper sachet as it fell from the bag ... it split ... the powder billowed out in a huge pink cloud right over Sirius as he covered his face. To Harry's right, Hermione whipped off the Cloak, wand pointed at Sirius. In a blast of light, the powder coating Sirius blew into a tornado, surrounding him. 

Sirius stood in complete shock, eyes darting from Harry, to Hermione, to the trees where Ron had emerged holding the owl whistle and back to Harry as Hedwig proudly landed on his shoulder. 

'What the _hell?'_

The pink tornado flared with light, completely engulfing him. Harry held his breath. If the powder came up red, a love spell was present, if not; it would go blue. 

The colour shifted ... 

It turned ... purple. 

_Purple?_

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other, wide eyed.

This was _not_ good. 

'Harry,' Sirius growled as the whirl of colour faded into nothing. 'What the_ hell _was _that?_' 

Harry eyed his godfather fearfully. Sirius looked furious! Ron and Hermione drew back as his dark eyes flashed in their direction. 

'I asked you a question, Harry.' 

Harry raised his head, met his godfather's stare. He wanted to appear unconcerned, like casting such a spell on his unsuspecting guardian had been nothing. But he felt nothing but shame, his stomach flipped over. 

What had he just done? 

If Ron and Hermione were expecting Harry to stand up to Sirius, they were disappointed.  Harry dropped his gaze. 

'That was a Revelation Powder, wasn't it?' 

Harry didn't bother trying to deny it. He nodded. 

'What were you looking for?' 

'A love spell.' 

'Why?' Sirius' voice was dangerously quiet. 

Stubborn silence. 

'I don't really need an answer to that, do I, Harry? Look at me when I'm talking to you.' 

Slowly, Harry looked back up. Sirius was obviously struggling to keep his temper under control. 

'Harry, if you despise Tia this much, fine. I can't make you like her but you are not going to force me to choose between you. I care about you a lot, Harry,' Harry felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes. He blinked hard to stop them before they fell. 'But I love Tia. She's a part of my life whether you like her or not.' 

'There are only two things I don't like about her.' Harry hissed, his anger rising again. 

'What's that?' 

'Her face.' 

Harry turned abruptly and marched back up the road towards the castle.  Sirius made no move to follow.  He heard Ron and Hermione fall into step behind him. Without a word, they returned to Hogwarts. Harry didn't look back. 

* 

'I don't understand it!' said Hermione, rereading the spell book. 'We did everything correctly, I _know_ we did!' 

'So why did the powder go purple and not red or blue?' Harry snapped irritably. 

'I don't know!' Hermione snapped back. 'The book doesn't say anything about the reading going purple.' 

'We didn't get a definite result one way or the other,' said Ron. 'It was sort of in-between.' 

'So is there a love spell or not?' asked Harry impatiently. 

Ron shrugged, looking at Hermione. Hermione was scowling behind Harry's back; clearly she'd had enough of Harry's mood swings. She slammed her book shut. 

'Hasn't it occurred to you Harry, that maybe you're over reacting to the whole thing? I know it can't be easy but the least you could do is _try_ to get along with Professor Torr.' She ignored the appalled look on his face. 'She might not be all that she seems, but then who is? You're so stubborn, you won't even give her the benefit of the doubt!' 

'Hermione, I-' 

'Let her finish,' Ron growled at Harry who looked quite taken aback. Hermione continued as though she hadn't been interrupted. 

'Why you won't apologise to Sirius, I don't know. I'm not sure _why_ I even helped you with this stupid spell! _There is no love spell! _And you proved that by tricking him, completely disregarding his feelings! And ours! Ron and I have tried to be understanding but come on! Enough is enough! We're not going to jump to your defence every time you find something else to get paranoid about!' She paused to draw a shuddering breath and went on, a little more deflated. 'I'm sorry, Harry. I just ...' 

Ron went to her, putting a comforting arm round her shoulders.  Hermione stiffened, eyeing his hand warily.  Awkwardly, Ron removed his arm, taking a step back, avoiding her eyes.

Without another word, Hermione snatched up the spell book and walked away. 

*

Upon entering her dormitory, Hermione was relieved to find that Lavender and Parvati weren't around.  However, she pulled up short as a streak of ginger burst out from under her bed, pouncing on a screwed up sheet of parchment.

'Oh, Crookshanks,' Hermione sighed, finding her school bag lying open on the floor, ransacked by her playful feline.  Several rolls of parchment had been subjected to Crookshanks' games, scattered across the floor.

The cat paid her no attention, batting at his latest find.  Hermione cast him a disapproving look and set about tidying up.

When she'd finished, Hermione fell back onto her bed, staring up at the scarlet canopy of her four poster.

Feeling somewhat drained from her outburst, Hermione struggled to concentrate.  She felt a little better having vented her feelings, although she wished she could have got it out of her system without doing it front of Ron.  It was bad enough not knowing what was going on with her own feelings without worrying over what someone else may or may not be feeling.  It was too confusing.

Sighing deeply, Hermione forced herself to focus on something that might actually have a logical answer; why the powder hadn't worked.

Mentally running over the instructions Hermione was positive they'd made it correctly.  Yet it hadn't yielded a definite result, one way or the other.  What did it mean?

Sitting up, Hermione picked up the spell book again, flipping the yellowing pages.  There was no explanation for the powder turning purple; it only stated that red indicated the presence of a love spell while blue was a completely negative reading, that there was no spell present.

'But then there _must_ have been something there,' Hermione muttered aloud, frowning and turning the page impatiently.  'Otherwise it would've turned blue.  Yet it _isn't _a love spell – so what else could it be?'

Brow furrowed, Hermione leant back against the headboard and proceeded to work her way through the entire book, reading from cover to cover, hoping to find some sort of answer.

Crookshanks was happily rolling on the floor, playing with the parchment ball, which kept rustling loudly.  Halfway through the book, Hermione sighed.

'Crookshanks, I'm trying to concentrate.'

The cat blinked his great yellow eyes at her, then carried on.

'Fine.'

Hermione swung off the bed.  Opening her trunk she drew out a cat toy; a soft bag of sweet smelling catnip.  Dangling it in front of Crookshanks' face, Hermione soon had the cats' attention.  Abandoning his parchment ball, Crookshanks eagerly batted at the bag with his paws.  Hermione tossed it across the room, smiling serenely as her cat sprang after it, sinking his claws into it like a lion would bring down its prey.

Picking up the parchment, Hermione was just about to toss it in the bin when she hesitated.  Peering closely at the parchment, she sniffed.  Slowly, she smoothed it out.  It was the letter Professor Torr had sent to Sirius.  The parchment smelt like a strange spice, but Hermione was at a loss for what kind.

The dormitory door opened, and Lavender and Parvati came in, gossiping happily.  Lavender paused as she noticed Hermione clutching the letter in her hands.

'Hi Hermione, who's that from?' she asked curiously.

'Oh … erm, no one,' said Hermione, folding it up quickly.

Parvati sniffed.

'Is that perfume?' she asked incredulously.

Lavender's eyes widened, her smile wide and eager.

'Oh my god, you're sending a perfume scented letter?  To who?'

Hermione flushed red.

'What? No, I'm not,' she said quickly.

Parvati and Lavender exchanging knowing looks.

'That's okay, it's not like we need to ask anyway,' said Parvati matter-of-factly.

'Excuse me?  What's that supposed to mean?'

'Oh, come on,' said Lavender.  'There's a good-looking red head out there who's had his eye on you for a long time.'

Hermione paled.

'I – I don't know what you mean …' she stammered.

'You can't tell me you haven't noticed,' Lavender giggled.

Hermione stuck out her chin defiantly, opened her mouth to defend herself, but nothing came out.  Awkwardly, she closed her mouth without saying anything, avoiding her classmates' eagerly searching eyes.

'I sincerely doubt he's interested,' she murmured finally, barely moving her lips so that it was almost inaudible.  'We're just friends.'

'Uh huh, sure, that's what they all say,' Lavender drawled, grinning slyly.

'It's true,' Hermione snapped, eyes narrowed.  'I don't think of him that way,' she added forcibly, cringing inwardly as she said it.

Parvati raised her eyebrows disbelievingly.

'Oh really?  Then why have you put Arden's Perfume on that letter?' she smiled, folding her arms, looking almost proudly at Hermione.  'My girl, I didn't know you had it in you.'

Hermione stared.

'What did you say?'

'That I didn't know – '

'No, before that – about the perfume?  You know what this is?'  She shook the letter, clutching the edge so tightly she almost tore it.

'Well, it _smells_ like Arden's Perfume,' said Parvati, sounding unsure.  She went to her bureau and opened her drawer.  Inside were dozens and dozens of magical cosmetics; lipsticks, blusher, eye liner, eye shadow, nail polish, all in a multitude of different colours and shades.  Hermione had never seen so much make-up outside of a shop.

Carefully, Parvati removed a tiny bottle and a copy of Teen Witch magazine.  The front cover was moving, just like every picture in the wizarding world.  It portrayed a slender teenaged witch modelling a set of stylish red robes with a plunging neckline.  She smiled confidently up at Hermione, tossing her strawberry blonde hair around.  At her feet lay several handsome young wizards, all gazing adoringly up at her. 

'I got a free sample a few months ago,' said Parvati, handing the little bottle to Hermione.  'It's _really_ expensive so I haven't used any of it yet.'

Hermione cautiously opened the bottle and took a delicate sniff, then smelt the parchment again.

'It's very similar,' Hermione muttered, frowning.  'What's it made of?'

Lavender shrugged.

'I don't know, but who cares?  It's brilliant for getting guys to sit up and take notice.  But if you don't mind my saying so, I think you may have used a tad too much on that letter.  What did you do?  Soak it?'

'Hold on,' said Hermione, staring from the bottle to Lavender and Parvati.  'What exactly does this stuff do?'

Lavender and Parvati started giggling.  Refining from sighing with sheer exasperation, Hermione waited for them to stop.  Finally Lavender said, 'It gets a guy to notice you, of course!  Soon as they get a whiff of this perfume they can't stay away.'

'But love spells aren't allowed at Hogwarts!' Hermione whispered fearfully.  'You could get into huge trouble.'

'It isn't a love spell, silly,' Parvati laughed airily.  'It induces passion – there's a big difference.'

'Passion?'  Hermione repeated.  She stared down at the letter, thinking hard and fast.  'So … is that why he kissed me?' she whispered sadly under her breath.

Both Lavender and Parvati gaped at her, mouths hanging open.

_'What?_  Who kissed you?' they demanded excitedly.

Hermione didn't answer but her face went bright red.

Lavender squealed.  'Oh my god!  _Ron _kissed you?'

Hermione's face went a shade deeper, which seemed to answer the question as far as Lavender and Parvati were concerned.  They squealed again.

'When did he kiss you?'

'Was it nice?'  

'Did you like it?'  

'Is he a good kisser?'

'Did you snog him?  How far did you go?'

'Does this mean you two are going out?  Come on, girl, details!'

But Hermione didn't seem to be listening.  Cramming the letter into her pocket, she ran out of the dormitory as fast as she could.  Lavender and Parvati stared after her.  There was the sound of pounding feet and Hermione stuck her head back in.

'Thanks!' she gasped breathlessly, then vanished again, thundering back down the stairs.

Lavender and Parvati smiled at each other.

'Knew it was going to happen,' said Lavender smugly.

'It was only a matter of time,' agreed Parvati matter-of-factly.

*

'So you see?  We weren't far off after all!' said Hermione excitedly to a stunned Harry and Ron.  Almost crashing into them in front of the Fat Lady, Hermione had ushered them into the nearest empty to classroom to inform them of her discovery.

'Then the powder did work?' asked Harry, looking at the letter from a safe distance.  'But I thought it was supposed to turn red if there was – '

'It's got nothing to do with love, Harry.  This perfume induces passion; people can confuse the two, unfortunately,' She didn't notice Ron's concerned expression.  'The Revelation Powder sensed it and thus reacted to it, and because it isn't love, it didn't go completely red.'

'That's how this works?' Ron asked, indicating the letter.  'One sniff and those possessing a Y chromosome go gaga for the first pretty girl they see?'

'It must be more specific than that,' said Hermione carefully.  'My theory is that there may be some kind of pheromone in the formula, a chemical scent message.  The best example I can think of to explain it is that wild animals would use a special kind of scent to attract a suitable mate.'  

'That actually works?'

'Of course.  Humans have sort of adapted it to perfume, only we generally use it to simply smell nice, not necessarily to attract someone.' Hermione was carefully avoiding Ron's eyes.    Ron looked pained, trying once again to move into her line of sight.  Hermione turned to address Harry.

'Basically, I'd say that Sirius is under the influence of this stuff.'

'You mean he's been drugged?'  Harry looked horrified at the thought.

'Not drugged as such, but I'm sure he can't really help his behaviour.  Remember the headaches?  Maybe he's reacting to it, or trying to fight it.'

Harry's outlook definitely brightened at the thought.  Then his face fell again.

'It sounds like the Imperius Curse, or at a Confundus Charm.'

'Or it might simply be a case of overactive hormones,' said Hermione,  'you just react to them … you don't always have a logical reason for why … it just happens,' She cast Ron a hurt look, then dropped her gaze to the floor.  'For all we know, this spell may actually amplify feelings that are already there, or it could be a forced state of mind where one has no control whatsoever over what they do.'

Harry leaned back against the wall, looking curiously between Ron and Hermione.  They had both been behaving rather oddly around each other for the last day or so.

'How did you figure this out?' he asked, sounding slightly suspicious.

Instantly, Hermione and Ron glanced at each other, then sharply looked away.  Harry raised an eyebrow, questioningly.

'Did something – '

'Nothing happened!' Hermione and Ron insisted simultaneously.  Harry drew back, rather startled, raising his hands in mock surrender.

'Ooookay, forget I asked.'

Both Ron and Hermione looked satisfied, but they still wouldn't close the eight-foot gap between them.

'So, Professor Torr has been using this perfume,' said Harry slowly, looking to Hermione for confirmation.

'I don't know for sure,' she admitted.  'They do smell very similar but it could well be a variation of it.'

'Any idea where she's getting it from?'

'This sort of formula, I'd say she's brewing it herself somewhere – probably in her office or private rooms.'

'So what do we do now?' asked Ron.  'Break into her office and search it for evidence?'

Harry smiled grimly up at him.  Ron's face fell.

'I didn't mean that seriously.'

'Sounds like a plan to me,' said Harry.  'We need more evidence that she's a fraud.'

'More evidence?' said Hermione wonderingly.  'Harry, I'm not sure if the Voice Boxes count as evidence.'

'No, but this might.'

Harry delved into his pocket and pulled out a scroll of parchment.  'This arrived for you after you went back to the Tower.'

Taking the parchment, Hermione unravelled it and read;

_Dear Hermione,_

_Thank you for your last letter, it was nice to hear from you again so soon. But I am sorry to say that I know nothing of Miss Torr, I have not heard of her before, nor have my colleagues and they know a great many coaches in the Quidditch profession. Perhaps I have mistaken the name? I have done as you asked and searched all records and contacts, yet her name is nowhere to be found. I apologise for my lack of assistance in your investigation. _

_My good wishes to Harry and Ron for all their coming matches._

_I'll write again soon._

_Love Viktor_

*

**To Be Continued**

* 

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated._**

**_*_**

**Author's Notes**

**Lil Lupin – **My memory is so weird.  I can remember ridiculous little facts that'll never be of any use whatsoever (except on a Harry Potter quiz perhaps) but 'normal' stuff just goes in one ear and out the other.  I mean, I could tell you how many staircases there are in Hogwarts castle, or when Ollivanders started business, but I couldn't tell you what I had for dinner yesterday.  I was so thrilled when I read Prisoner of Azkaban for the first time, came across the name Sirius Black and suddenly had the distinct feeling that I had read the name before  (baring in mind I'd only read the first book once, a few weeks previous) and surprised myself by finding the name in the first chapter of Philosophers Stone.  How's that for a sieve-like memory??****

**MorganD – **Really?  I didn't know that!  It made me wonder, there may be words in the English language that could mean something in another language; who knows, someone could unknowingly swear in Swahili for all they know!  Weird.  I know several words from several different languages, including Japanese, Greek, Latin, Yiddish, Sanskrit, German, Italian, Spanish, a fair amount of French and now a few words of Portuguese, (thanks!) as well as maybe thirty/forty words in British Sign Language; but no where near enough to carry on a conversation!   ^_^

Interesting question; I guess Astrid was picking up on Harry's feelings about Professor Torr so she was more 'tuned in' to her deceptive nature.  So in that respect, Astrid may not have reacted so much if she'd been on Neville's lap.  Sparkle/Conner was constantly being petted and fussed over so he was slightly distracted.

Ha ha, had to keep that dog comment in there for the very reason that it got that kind of reaction from you!  ^_^  LOL, my sentiments exactly.

Yep, kept the powder stuff in, only I included an explanation for the unexpected reading this time.  See, I did pay attention to what you put in your e-mail.

Not sure if the anagram is still relevant in this edition.  But yes, that is the correct word.  I only used one because I was thinking about Tom Marvolo Riddle being an anagram for I am Lord Voldemort at the time I came up with her character.****

**Von –  **Oh, hello, you're back again?  Well, can't have been too much of a disappointment then?  ^_^  Glad to have you back, Von.

**Christy – **I always thought cats were quite perceptive so yeah, I suppose Ron may have been thinking about Crookshanks and Scabbers at the time.****

**Evol norgara – **I couldn't help myself really, especially since it's looking more and more likely that JK Rowling could bring those two together at some point.  I think Ron and Hermione would make a good couple if only they'd admit to their feelings.

I'm not a huge fan of slash to be honest.  A lot that I've come across have, what I personally consider to be, such likely pairings that the fic seems wasted and silly.  (Harry/Draco; I'm sorry, but not a chance!  Ick!)  To be fair though, if it is well written, whatever the pairing, it can still be a decent fic.  I avoid anything graphic but those that are subtle and focus on expressing the feelings of the characters I think are nice.  But out of all the same sex pairings, I feel that only Sirius/Remus fall into the realms of possibility. They are quite compatible characters.   But hey, if people are dead set against slash then fair enough, that's their opinion, but I don't see why some people deliberately slag them off even when they contain a warning and are well written; it's a shame really.

Boy, I didn't half go on there; sorry, just expressing my thoughts on the matter.  ^_^

Horrors!  An evil uncle!  Not named Vernon by any chance, is he?    Hee hee, now exactly who would you want to cast a love spell on, hhm?  ^_^****

**Evil spapple pie –**  Has Ron been smoking something?  Nope.  Might have accidentally snorted something up his nose though. ^_^  Oh the joys of teenage mood swings. It's easy to write about them, I've had enough of them myself!


	17. Behind the Scenes

**Chapter Seventeen; Behind The Scenes **

****

The days passed and the warm spring weather had arrived.  The grounds were no longer frosty in the morning and the lawns were looking green and fine once more.   The pleasant change in weather aptly coincided with most people's moods.

Colin Creevey had come running over Harry, Ron and Hermione one morning in March with all his newly developed photos.  Apologising for taking so long, Colin practically grovelled for forgiveness, saying that he didn't think that over twenty rolls of film could take so long so sort out.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were stunned at the photos.  Apparently Colin had been taking plenty of pictures when they weren't even aware of him, as well as cooperating with their wish to pose for the camera in certain areas of the castle.  Individual shots, group photos, distant shots; there were so many Harry was sure that they would have to make an entire series of albums to accommodate them all.  Nevertheless, it was hardily a wearisome chore.

Sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor common room every evening they set about the task of sorting out all the photos, picking and choosing favourites for their very first album.

Taking their cue from the Marauder Album, the three of them had been very persistent in recreating several of the original shots.  The best by far was the one of Harry, Ron and Hermione standing in a three-way hug on the front steps of Hogwarts castle.  It took pride of place on the very first page of the album, closely followed by photos of them with Hagrid out on the grounds.

There was so many photos that it took over a week to get to the Halloween photographs.  Colin had managed to get several nice shots of Harry, Ron and Hermione in their dress robes looking very smart and mature.  There was a fantastic overview of the exquisitely decorated Great Hall that Hermione insisted on including, not that the boys objected.

One photo of Sirius and Remus had come out clearly; two large canines running around and wrestling playfully with each other on the front lawns in the starlight, the Forbidden Forest and the Whomping Willow in the distance.  Harry hung onto that one. 

As requested, Colin had also succeeded in taking a few good close ups up Professor Torr during her solo.  Harry stuffed these into a pile of discarded photos, a convenient place to forget about them for the time being.

The half constructed album lay on the table between them.  Ron sat on the floor with a mass of photos spread out around him.  Hermione was carefully placing a photo on another page of the album, meticulously lining it up with those above it.  Harry sat in an armchair by the fire, shifting through a smaller pile, picking out a few favourites and discarding others.

'What about this one?' said Ron, holding up a photograph of Hedwig, Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks sitting together on a window sill, the sun setting behind them.

'Perfect,' Hermione smiled.  'Now, do we put that with the 'group' photos or with the other pet photos?'

'Definitely with the groups,' said Harry, 'We've got loads of individual shots – '

_Tap, tap!_

They all looked up to see a small barn owl perched on the windowsill, peering inside.  Ron got up off the floor to let it inside.  The owl fluttered down onto the armrest of Harry's chair.  It hooted and held out its leg.  Curiously, Harry removed the letter tied to its leg.   He didn't recognise the owl.  With a self-satisfied hoot, the owl took flight, soaring back out of the window and off in the direction of the Owlery.

Breaking the seal, Harry quickly unfolded it.

_Dear Harry,_

_I've just returned to Hogsmeade and from what Padfoot had told me, the two of you don't seem to be on speaking terms, is that correct?   As I understand it, you don't approve of a certain acquaintance of his.  Now, you don't have to see Padfoot if you don't want to, but if you'd like to talk, then I'm more than willing to hear your side of the story.  _

_Hope to see you soon,_

_Moony_

*

'Bell with the Quaffle - passes to Butler - no, Montague swipes the Quaffle - speeding towards the goal - dodges a Bludger - yes! Blocked by Spinnet - forced to pass to Pucey - Bell back in possession! Look at her go - but here comes Warrington - watch out! Oh, will you look at that! Fantastic Reverse-pass to Butler! Ducks both Bludgers - almost at the goal - Gryffindor score! 50 - 20 to Gryffindor!'

Three quarters of the crowd were screaming their delight. All the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were anxious to see Slytherin get thrashed, almost as much as the Gryffindors. The green-clad supporters were furious at Gryffindor's lead and urging their team on, who were rapidly resorting to their usual brutal tactics.

'Slytherin in possession - Warrington passes to Pucey - passes to Montague - back to Pucey - forcing their way up the pitch in a Hawkshead! - And here come the Weasleys!'

Fred and George rocketed up from beneath the Slytherin Chasers, smacking the Bludgers upwards.

'Warrington's hit!' Lee Jordan shouted, a little too happily. 'He's going to be feeling _that _tomorrow! Plummets towards the pitch! Oh, no, pulls up just in time - shame-'

'Jordan!'

'But good news for the Slytherin team,' he added swiftly, if not sourly. 'Pucey still with the Quaffle - HEY! _What do you think you're doing?'_

Warrington and Montague had both sped into the scoring area, slamming against Ron, almost knocking him right off his broom and ramming him aside. Quick as a flash Pucey flew at the goal hoops and flung the Quaffle through.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and started yelling at them. Jordan gleefully continued.

'Two penalties awarded to Gryffindor for that foul! Those Slytherins must really be worried if they think they can get away with Stooging!'

Harry had been soaring nearly thirty feet above the game when the foul happened, now he dived down to Ron. He looked a bit sore, though insisted that he was fine, glaring murderously at the Slytherins.

'But if you can finish the game,' said Ron bracingly as Katie took their first penalty, diving round Bletchly and scoring before he had a chance to turn, 'sooner would be better than later.'

Harry nodded and rose once more above the Chasers. Draco was using the same tactic but watching Harry closely, obviously waiting for Harry to find the Snitch for him. Harry ignored him.

The crowd cheered as Chris took Gryffindors second penalty.

'70 - 30 to Gryffindor!' Jordan bellowed. 'Spinnet gains the Quaffle - loops round Beater Derrick - passes to Butler - oh, no! Hit by a Bludger and Slytherin steal the Quaffle - _bloody hell,_ will you look at that!'

The entire crowd leapt to their feet, pointing and screaming as Harry and Draco suddenly dove out of the sky towards the middle of the pitch. A tiny glint of gold sparkled in the sunlight, skimming over the grass.

The Seekers were almost ten feet from smashing into the pitch when the Snitch suddenly dashed off up the pitch. Harry pulled his Firebolt up sharply, swung round and pelted after it, the screams of the crowd pounding his ears. Draco swerved off course, almost colliding with the stands and slipping off his broom by turning a tad too fast. The Slytherins howled with rage as Harry rocketed up the pitch, Draco miles behind.

'Look at Potter go! Watch out for the Bludgers! Wow! I don't know about anyone else, but I think _that_ was a little too close!'

Harry rolled over to avoid a speeding Bludger sent his way by Bole, keeping his eyes locked on the Snitch, lying flat to the broom handle, gaining on the little golden ball bit by bit.

Suddenly, the Snitch chanced direction, shooting back past Harry in the blink of an eye, back up the pitch to the other end … and Malfoy. A manic gleam in his eye, Draco shot forward to meet it. Harry flipped right over and sped straight at Malfoy, the distance between them closing rapidly

'This is folks! Here it comes -'

What happened next happened so fast that most of the crowd blinked and missed it, for Potter and Malfoy were quite suddenly lying on the pitch in a tangle of limbs and brooms, caught up in their Quidditch robes. The crowd leaned forward and a hush descended. Even Jordan fell silent. Both teams hovered, watching their Seekers with bated breath.

A hand shot up into the air, a flash of gold in its palm.

A split second silence, and the stands erupted.

'YYEESSSS! _Gryffindor are through to the final!_' Jordan yelled at the top of his lungs, startling Professor McGonagall, who snatched the megaphone from him. One hurried apology and a pleading puppy-dog eyed look later, Jordan graciously took the megaphone back, aiming it away from McGonagall's ears this time. '220 points to 30! Slytherins lose!'

With a look of utter loathing, Draco scrambled back onto his feet, snatching up his broom and yanking his robes straight, then stumbled backwards as the Gryffindor team swooped down, cheering and congratulating Harry who seemed almost delirious with relief, clutching the Snitch for all he was worth.

'You did it, Harry! You did it!'

'Fantastic catch!'

'Jeez, I thought for a moment that Malfoy'd got the Snitch. Scared the life out of me!'

'We're in the final!'

Fred and George pulled Harry to his feet, slapping him on the back.

'Come on, celebration party, Gryffindor Tower, let's go!'

*

The celebration lasted all day and well into the night.  The entire House congregated in the common room, setting off Filibuster Fireworks and feasting happily on the food Fred and George had brought up from the kitchens.

Harry and Ron, both in the limelight for much of the evening, finally seized the chance to slip away under the pretence of sneaking down to the kitchens for more food.  Hermione slipped through the crowd to join them, passing Harry the Invisibility Cloak from her pocket.

Keeping all three of them out of sight under the Cloak was becoming difficult, owning to Ron's sudden growth.  Harry, too, had grown a few inches but he still felt distinctly vertically challenged beside his lanky friend.  It took them a long time to creep down through the castle.

They tiptoed past Argus Filch, the caretaker, who was prowling on the fourth floor, muttering furiously about the state of the pitch after the Seekers' joint crash landing.

'Blinking great dent right in the middle – _no_ respect for the lawns … should have given the little brats detention.  Idiotic game… and they call it _sport_ …'

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes at each other.  Hermione put a finger to her lips, nudging them in the direction of the stairs.  Quietly, they stole down the stairwell and continued on through the castle.

None of them had been inside Professor Torr's office before, but Harry led them straight to it, having visited these rooms under three of its previous occupants.

Checking that the corridor was indeed deserted, Hermione stuck her wand out from the under the Cloak and tapped the lock.

_'Alohomora!'_

The lock clicked and she slowly pushed open the door.

The office was dark.  Hermione lit her wand and shone its narrow beam into the room.  Harry and Ron followed suit, adding their lights to hers before slowly stepping over the threshold.

Closing the door over, Hermione stood guard, peering out into the corridor just in case Filch, Mrs Norris or Peeves came along.  Pulling off the Cloak, Harry and Ron cast their lights around the darkened room.

They both jumped as two figures appeared in the darkness.  Hermione spun round, raising her wand.  The light struck the frame of a beautiful, golden-framed mirror.  The mirror completely covered the opposite wall from ceiling to floor.  Ron and Harry breathed sigh of relief; their reflections in the glass posing no threat.  Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her post.  

Looking around the office it was clear at a glance that Professor Torr was rather particular about clutter. The desk was neat and orderly, no personal items anywhere on the surface. Books and sheaves of parchment were neatly arranged on the new shelves. A few small ornaments and a vase of flowers sitting on the window ledge were the only sign of a personal touch.  Everything was perfectly clean, not a speck of dust to be found. Aunt Petunia would have been hard pushed to find a fault in the immaculate office, even if she knew the owner of it was a witch.

'Try not to disturb anything,' Harry whispered, sitting down at the desk and trying the drawers.

'I can't believe we're doing this,' Hermione muttered.  'Breaking and entering into someone's office –'

'Hey, we haven't broken anything,' Ron protested.  'We're being careful.'  Hastily he seized a delicate china figurine off a nearby shelf, moving away from the edge before he could knock it.

They lapsed into silence as they focused on their search.  Harry rummaged through the desk drawers, finding nothing but lesson plans, un-marked essays, quills, ink, parchment, chalk; nothing out of the ordinary.  Ron went through the shelves, shining the wand light along the surface, examining every book, file and sheave of parchment.

Nothing.  After an hour of searching and double-checking every nook and cranny, they'd found absolutely nothing.  

'No good,' grumbled Ron in a whisper.  'It's clean as a whistle.'

Sullenly, Harry cast his wand light round the room again. 

'There must be something,' he insisted, making no move to leave the office.

'Harry, whatever it is that we're looking for, I sincerely doubt that Professor Torr would conveniently leave it laying around her office. If there's any evidence at all, she'll probably have it hidden in her private rooms.' said Hermione, closing the door and joining Ron beside the mirror.  

'It's getting late,' said Ron, checking his watch.  'Shall we go back, maybe try another time?'

Harry cast a baleful look round the dark office.  He'd really hoped they'd find some proof of Professor Torr's deceit, but clearly luck wasn't with them tonight.

'Okay,' he sighed.  'Let's – ' Harry paused, staring over Ron and Hermione's shoulders, looked behind him and back again.

'What?' said Ron.

'The mirror,' said Harry.  He walked over and turned his back to the mirror.  From this angle the office appeared much smaller, but Harry could have sworn …

'Harry?  What is it?' asked Hermione.

'The room's too small,' said Harry, turning to look into the mirror.  'This isn't the whole room.  Part of it's missing.'

'Are you sure?'

'Positive.  I've been in here often enough.'

Ron raised an eyebrow, casting a sidelong look at Harry.  'So where's the rest of it gone?' he asked, folding his arms and leaning back.  'How could you hide _– Arrgh_!'

'Ron!'

Ron had vanished.  Harry and Hermione swiftly backed away from the mirror.

'Ow!' came a muffled voice from the other side of the glass.  'Where'd the wall go?'

Harry aimed his wand at the floor.  The circle of light lit up a pair of large feet sticking out of the base of the mirror.  

'Ron, are you okay?'  Hermione gasped.

'Course I am,' came Ron's voice.  His feet slid through the mirror as he got back up.  The glass rippled like water then reformed.

'It's an illusion,' Harry whispered.  'They look real but can't attain a solid form – you can just walk straight them.'

'Well, it certainly _looks_ solid enough,' Hermione murmured.  They could hear Ron muttering darkly and brushing himself off.

Then there was a silence, more protracted.

'Guys,' Ron whispered.  He sounded shaken.  'You'd better take a look at this.'

Harry and Hermione exchanged nervous glances, and then walked up to the mirror.  Closing his eyes, Harry took a step straight into the mirror.

A vague tingling sensation washed over him as he passed through the illusion.  Opening his eyes, Harry was relieved to see Ron standing there, looking none the worst for his fall, but staring around him in an awestruck manner.  Harry slowly followed his gaze just as Hermione came through the mirror behind him.  She pulled up short, staring with wide frightened eyes.

'Oh my goodness,' she whispered breathlessly.

They'd found the missing half of the office and, unlike its immaculate counterpart, this half was strewn haphazardly with all manner of things.

A workbench had been shoved up against the wall.  A portable cauldron had been set upon it, a set of ladles and spoons lay on the heaps of parchment covering the rest of it.  A mortar and pestle, sachets of fine powders, jars and bottles containing strange liquids and components were crammed onto several shelves.  From the ceiling hung strings of dark feathers, claws, plant bulbs and withered flowers.  The floor was littered with crumbled sheets of parchment.  A pot of quills and an inkbottle lay in a box beneath the workbench.

But what really caught their attention were the photographs.

Hundreds and hundreds of photographs were plastered over every inch of the wall and ceiling.  The images were all moving; for a moment it had looked as though the wall itself was moving.

Harry, Ron and Hermione tore their eyes away from the photos to stare at each other.  

'Anybody else feeling a little creeped out?' Ron whispered shakily.

Hermione slowly went over to the desk, careful to avoid treading on anything.  She peered curiously at the mass of jars and bottles, examining the contents.

Edging forward, Harry peered at the nearest photo.

A young girl, probably no more than fifteen, was fiddling with her long dark hair as though she couldn't decide whether she ought to wear it up or down.  A boy stepped into view behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, laying his head on her shoulder.  The girl stopped fiddling with her hair at once, smiling happily and shyly waving up at Harry.  The boy glanced up from nuzzling her neck and grinned.

Harry's gaze shifted to the photo beside it.

The same boy and girl were laying in the shade of some trees, arms around each other, gazing into each other's eyes.

Another one showed the boy presenting the girl with a beautiful bouquet of flowers … sitting together on a squashy armchair, the girl sitting on his lap … dancing together … photo after photo after photo …

Harry's eyes swept the room.  Not all the photos were different.  Many were duplicates of one another, yet they all contained the same two subjects.

Then one in particular caught his eye.

'Will you look at this,' Hermione said, holding up two potion bottles.  'I _knew _she was making this stuff herself!  She's got all the ingredients stashed here; poppy juice, canary feathers, ylang ylang, passion flower – no surprise there … she's practically got an apothecary's store room in here.'  She looked excitedly up at Ron.  'I think we've found our proof.'

'Brilliant!  But … er, how do we explain how we found this?  I don't think McGonagall will be impressed with our breaking the rules somehow.'

'Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out,' said Hermione bracingly.  'Harry?'

Harry was staring transfixed at the mosaic of photos.  Reaching out a shaking hand, he tugged one off the wall.

Ron cast a wary eye over the other photos.  He nodded, 'Yep, figures we'd have a complete loony this time.  We've just about everything else; impostors, con men, agents of the Dark Lord, werewolves … why not a reject from St. Mungo's mental ward?'

Harry didn't say anything.  He simply stared at the photo in his hands, and then held it up to show Ron and Hermione.

Unlike the other photos, this one they all recognised.

The pretty dark haired girl was once again in the frame, with the same boy by her side, dancing together on a crowded floor with other young couples.

The boy, a handsome teenager with long, raven black hair and a mischievous grin, waved up at the camera, a sparkle in his eyes that Harry could vividly recall reflecting the light of his birthday candles not so long ago.

'Is that …' Ron trailed off nervously.

Harry nodded grimly.

'Sirius.'

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated_**

*****

**Author's Notes**

**Elbereth94 – **Poor Sirius indeed – the guy's probably just as confused as everyone else!****

**Evol norgara – **Hhm, now _how_ exactly do you plan to put that perfume to good use?  *evil grin*  Come to think of it, it would be nice to try it out.  ^_^****

**Evil spapple pie – **Ah, the explanation for the powder reading was one of the 'missing plot elements' from the original fic; I needed one to clear some things up this time round.  Ron and Hermione are both rather confused and unsure, poor guys.  Give them some time, maybe they'll try to sort things out.****

**Von – **Time zones are a source of great confusion for me, so unless I happen to know where in the world you are, I have no hope of figuring out how many hours ahead/behind we are.  Oooh, Brain Strain!  ^_^  

Hey, hold your horses, Ron and Hermione are not simply brushing this off – All three teenagers have some relationship issues going on and are having some difficulty keeping a hold on their thoughts and feelings.  Hermione took a moment to vent her frustrations but neither her nor Ron are dismissing Harry's situation for any reason.  Teenage mood swings abound for a while; they're teenagers – what'd you expect?****

**MorganD – ***blinks*  Okay, yes, that is a very complex question indeed, but I will take a shot in the dark at giving a straight-forward answer, so here goes;

Love is more to do with caring deeply about others, while passion is more an 'animalistic' attraction.  Sirius loves Harry very much, as a parent would, but as far as Harry knows, Sirius is being forcibly attracted to P.Torr which is causing the rift between them.  

Like Hermione said earlier; people can confuse love and passion, so 'love' spells would be used to make another person feel something more for you, rather than have them unable to keep their hands off you.  Unfortunately, because people use 'love' to mean both, it really does get very very confusing!****

**Corrie – **Thank you!  ^_^****


	18. Reminiscence

**Chapter Eighteen; Reminiscence**

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in a corner of the common room, slightly apart from everyone else, and huddled round the Marauder album that lay open at the photographs of Sirius and his girlfriend.

Laying the photo from Professor Torr's office beside the formal dance photo, it was obvious that it was the same one.

Harry's head was spinning.  Was this girl and Professor Torr one and the same?  How could she be?  Sirius had never mentioned anything about having dated her before.  He'd acted like he'd never met her before in his life.  But then why would Professor Torr have so many photos of this young couple hidden away in her office?

The Marauders album yielded very little information.  There was not a single label bearing the name of the girl, but the initials  'S' and 'A' had been written beneath a few photos.  'S' was obviously Sirius, so it stood to reason that the girl was 'A', yet Harry knew that Professor Torr's first name was Tia, so that didn't fit.

'Ann Onymous' as Ron dubbed the girl, appeared only in the pictures labelled as being from the Marauders sixth year.  She didn't even appear in the background of seventh year photos.  The seventeen-year-old Sirius stood alone or with James, Remus or Lily.

All in all, the album only served to raise even more questions.

Even Hermione was at a loss for an explanation.  Everything they'd found so far just wasn't making any sense.

'She must be Professor Torr,' said Ron, indicating the girl in the album.  'She can't be anyone else.'

'There's no proof of that, Ron,' said Hermione sternly.  'Firstly, Sirius hadn't met Professor Torr until last year -'

'We don't know that for sure,' Ron pointed out.

'Secondly, her name is Tia; that doesn't begin with an 'A'.'

'Maybe it stands for a nickname?'  Ron suggested half-heartedly.

Hermione was holding a magnifying glass over one of the photos, shaking her head.

'She doesn't even _look_ like Professor Torr.  See?  Her face is rounder and her nose is upturned.  I'm quite sure Professor Torr's nose is straight.'

'People change -'

'Not that much, Ron.'

'But what about all those photos in her office, then?  How do you explain that?'

'I don't know,' Hermione sighed.  'Literally, all we have is extremely vague circumstantial evidence that hardly proves anything.'  She looked apologetically at Harry.  'I'm sorry Harry, but I just don't know how to explain any of this.'

'I don't either,' said Harry, reaching for the album.  'But I know someone who might.'

He turned a few pages of the album, and then held it out to Ron and Hermione, pointing to one of the photos.

Sirius and the brunette were sitting together on the edge of the water fountain in the central courtyard, holding hands and smiling at the camera.  On their left were James and Lily, and over on their other side, next to the girl … was Remus.

* 

The following night, Harry, Ron and Hermione sneaked out of Gryffindor Tower under the Invisibility Cloak and headed off to the South Tower.  Thankfully, there was no sign of Argus Filch or his mangy cat, Mrs Norris.  But they did have the misfortune to come across Peeves.  The poltergeist had come zooming down the corridor, bouncing off the walls like a giant pinball, smashing into as many suits of armour as he could, laughing manically.  Not wanting to hang around for when Filch came running, the three of them hastily backtracked to find a safer, alternative route.

Once in the Tower, Harry, Ron and Hermione stepped out onto the battlements to wait.  They watched the sky in silence.  The moon shone brightly overhead, almost full, and a thousand beautiful stars were scattered across the velvet black sky.  

'Hey, look over there,' said Hermione at last. 'Over the forest.'

Harry and Ron looked to where she was pointing.

A large dark shape was flying silently over the treetops towards the castle, two huge wings beating steadily as it gathered height, catching the wind and riding it up higher and higher, up to the tower.

Harry, Ron and Hermione hastily ducked and ran out of the way as a huge winged horse flew up and over their heads, its fifteen foot wingspan flaring as it tried to manoeuvre.  The four hooves clattered loudly as it hit the flagstone, cantering down the battlements as a voice called, 'Whoa, Trold!  Easy now.'

The horse snorted, folded its wings close to its body, turned and trotted steadily back towards Harry, Ron and Hermione, who slowly emerged from the shadows.

Its rider swung out of the saddle, holding the reins tightly as he coaxed the animal forward.

'Hello you three,' said Remus pleasantly.  'I hope I didn't startle you.  Trold's a bit of a handful, aren't you?' He addressed the handsome chestnut coloured horse, which tossed its head restlessly, pawing the ground.

As always, Remus looked tired and weary, the glow of the moon highlighting the premature grey of his hair.  But his eyes were sparkling and he smiled warmly at the young wizards.  He didn't seem at all perturbed by their strange request for his presence so late at night.

Harry had barely opened his mouth when Trold abruptly shied away, throwing Remus off balance, a shrill whinny piercing the night air.  Hermione, who at that moment had reached out a hand to stroke the animal, leapt back in alarm, treading on Ron's foot.

Still clinging to the reins, Remus swung round and grabbed hold of the bridle, pulling Trold's head round.  Moving swiftly back, Remus led Trold away from the startled teenagers, talking to the horse in a low, soothing voice.  Once Trold had his back to them, he seemed to calm down.  Slowly, Remus coaxed the horse back round.

'Sorry,' he said, keeping a reasonable distance this time.  'Trold doesn't like strangers touching him.  I apologise, Hermione, I should have warned you.'

'That's okay,' said Hermione, still a little shaken by the large animal's panic.  The winged horse was eyeing them nervously.  Remus promptly distracted Trold with a small lump of sugar, whispering reassurance.  

'Trold wasn't treated very well by his previous owner,' Remus explained sadly.  'It's taking a long time but he's gradually learning to trust me and accept a rider.  I took him on partly so that I wouldn't have to keep borrowing Buckbeak.  Not that Sirius has had any reason to leave Hogsmeade.' He looked to Harry.

A little awkwardly, Harry explained everything from Sirius not coming to see him at Christmas, right through to their search of Professor Torr's office.  Remus didn't interrupt or ask any questions, although there was mild disapproval in his blue-grey eyes at the mention of breaking into someone's office.  But when Harry revealed their discovery of the photographs, Remus seemed deeply disturbed.

'May I see this photo?' he asked.

Harry dug it out of his pocket and handed it over.  Curiously, Remus took the photo and looked at it.  His eyes widened in alarm.

_'Allison?'_ he croaked hoarsely.

'You recognise her?' said Harry sharply.

Remus looked paler than before.

'Certainly I recognise her,' he said, not taking his eyes off the picture.

'Well, who is she?' asked Ron.

'Her name is Allison DeVice,' said Remus in a dazed tone of voice.  'D-did you say you found _this_ in _Torr's_ office?'

All three of them nodded.

'It's a duplicate of the one in the album that Sirius gave to me,' said Harry.  'But there wasn't anything written about her.'

'No … no, there wouldn't be,' said Remus sadly.  'It's rather a long story …'

For a minute, Remus didn't say anything.  He gazed at the photo in his hand, his eyes downcast.

Hermione and Ron glanced at Harry uneasily, wondering if it would be inappropriate to push for an explanation.  Harry didn't feel comfortable with asking if it was going to bring up bad memories for Remus … but they desperately needed answers.

'Could you tell us about her?' he asked softly.  'We don't know anything about her or how she's connected with Professor Torr.  But if you don't want to … we don't mean to pry, it's just - '

'No, no, it's quite alright, Harry,' said Remus quickly.  'I'm afraid I can't answer your second question but I can tell you a little bit about Allison.'

Sensing that they might be here for a while, they all sat down on the ground, wrapping their cloaks around them, preparing to listen. Remus continued to stare blankly at the photo, brow furrowed in thought.

'Well,' he said, somewhat reluctantly.  'Allison DeVice went to Hogwarts with your father and I; same year, different House.'

'Slytherin?' Ron suggested with a grimace.

'Oh, no, she was a Ravenclaw.  Very intelligent young witch; she worked hard and the professors liked her.  She was always very shy and withdrawn – except when she lost her temper.'  Remus shook his head.  'She didn't have any friends so she was an easy target for bullies, but I believe that after a while she got so mad about it that she started to fight back.

'Now Allison didn't lack for common sense, she knew that no one would believe that the quiet, shy girl was capable of cursing and hexing her fellow students if no one ever caught her in the act.  So she learnt a variety of hexes, all very discreet with which to exert her revenge on people that upset her.

'Most people caught on quickly enough and stopped picking on her.  Problem was, Allison had such a short temper that you couldn't walk by her in the corridor without displeasing her somehow.

'I can remember one incident in particular; a Slytherin boy named Glen was teasing her because she hated flying and wouldn't go anywhere near a broomstick if she could avoid it.  Understandably, Allison wasn't particularly happy, and over the next few days everybody noticed that Glen was scratching an awful lot, like he had fleas or something.  He ended up in the Hospital Wing covered with bloody cuts and scrapes, going absolutely crazy with this itch.

'But no one could prove that Allie was responsible.  None of the teachers would believe that the quiet, pretty little girl was capable of such a thing.  Her innocent demeanour was the perfect cover.  She could have gotten away with just about anything.  Though if truth be told, if she hadn't hexed Glen, someone else would have; he was a nasty piece of work.'

'So, how did you know it was Allie?' asked Harry.

'Because her methods were always very discreet.  Majority of people would simply throw a Furnunculus Curse or Tongue-Tying Jinx down the middle of a crowded corridor at their intended target, get caught by the professors or prefects, but happily serve detention knowing that they've got their own back.   Allie was never so reckless.  She planned her revenges carefully.  Among her favourites was a Diatribe Dictation curse; that controls someone's speech for a short period of time.  Allie could force people to insult whoever they were talking to – mainly the professors.  She landed a _lot_ of people in detention with that one.'

'She sounds horrible!' said Hermione, nose wrinkled in disgust.  'I mean, I _do_ sympathise with her being bullied, but to resort to that kind of behaviour …'

'They do say that children who are bullied early in life can easily become bullies themselves when they get older.  By treating others in the same way, they feel that it's a way of compensating for what they went through.  Not to say that that happens in every case, but it does happen unfortunately.' said Remus.  'But Allie wasn't all bad … not once you got to know her.'

'You don't sound too sure of that,' said Hermione.

Remus looked at her quickly.  Hermione dropped her gaze, as though expecting a sharp reprimand.  Remus, however, sighed, nodding thoughtfully.

'I don't suppose I do.  But then I did have the unfortunate experience of being on the receiving end of her retributions.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked very shocked.

'Really?' said Ron, eyebrows raised.  'What did you do?'

Remus' eyes gazed sadly at the three of them.

'I had a friend.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged deeply confused looks.

'But … why did she…?' said Harry, not understanding.

'Well, to be more specific, I was friends with her boyfriend.'

_'She_ had a _boyfriend?'_ snorted Ron.  'What idiot would have gone out with someone like _her?'_

'Ron,' Harry growled.  'That _idiot_ would be my godfather.'

'Remember the photos?' Hermione added sharply.

'Oh.' Ron fell silent, looking abashed.

'Had to admit it _was_ quite a surprise,' said Remus soberly.  'We all thought it was a joke or a rumour at first, but Sirius insisted it was true.'

'Hard to believe,' said Hermione.

'They got along surprising well,' said Remus.  'Although practically everyone was highly sceptical … there were bets as to how long it would take for them to hex each other into the Hospital Wing, or for them to break up over something petty.'  Remus shook his head in wonderment.  'But something clicked.  It was amazing the difference it made to Allie … she became more confident … she smiled a lot more … a much nicer person altogether.

'Sirius had had previous relationships with girls but he just felt different with Allison.  She wasn't considered to be particularly beautiful but Sirius simply adored her.  I think Allison was quite flattered by the attention to be honest.  She'd never had a boyfriend, much less someone she could talk to.  In fact, I think the only fault Sirius could find with her was her lack of enthusiasm for Quidditch.  She didn't think much of sports – couldn't tell a Quaffle from a Bludger if her life depended on it.  Used to drive Sirius up the wall, but they'd laugh about it anyway.'

'Hang on,' said Ron, raising his hand like he was in lesson.  'Sorry, but I have to ask; if they were such a great couple, why doesn't Allison show up in any of the photos of your seventh year?  She just disappeared.'

'Did they break up?' Hermione asked hesitantly.

Remus nodded.

'They stayed together for exactly six and a half months.' he said sadly.

'What happened?  Um … if you don't mind my asking,' Hermione added quietly.

'It's hard to be sure,' said Remus slowly.  'But I have reason to believe that Allie had become jealous.'

'Of what?' asked Harry.

'Us.  The Marauders.  The four of us, and Lily, were close friends, we had been for years and I think that Allie felt rather intimidated by that, not being to fit in easily.  Considering she'd never had any friends before, she just wasn't comfortable with anybody but Sirius. We tried to be friendly but it didn't help much; she deliberately distanced herself from us, preferring either her own company or to be with Sirius.

'It started to put a strain on their relationship when Allie would refuse to have anything to do with us.  She began keeping Sirius away from us, insisting that he ought to spending more time with her.  Sirius was happy to at first, but after a while Allie would have a hissy fit if Sirius spent any time with us at all.  I don't think it helped matters that Sirius and the others spent one night a month at the Shrieking Shack to keep me company.

'Allie loved anything romantic and kept on at Sirius to take her for a moonlit stroll, things like that.  But Sirius always had an excuse to avoid it because he felt obliged to stay with me during the full moons.' Remus smiled to himself.

'Padfoot's a very loyal companion.  I feel very lucky to have him as my friend … however, Allie didn't feel the same way.  As far as she was concerned, Sirius should be with her all day, every day, and never with anybody else.

'Needless to say, Sirius wouldn't have a bar of it.  He knew Allie was being unreasonable.  He tried to talk her round but she was adamant; we were getting in the way of their relationship and she wanted to rectify the problem.'

'By hexing you?' said Harry.

'She threaten to hex us.  I believe her rule went something like 'You spend time with your friends, I hex your friends; you spend time with me, I don't hex your friends.'  Believe me we all brushed up on our counter curses and mastered the basics of healing magic.  Made good use of them too.

'I don't know why she thought that that would work but she wouldn't give up.  It didn't take Sirius long to try and break up the relationship.  He wasn't stupid, he knew by now that this wasn't something they could talk about reasonably.  Allie wasn't going to change her mind.  There was no way that the relationship was going to work.  So he broke up with her.'

'How did she take it?' asked Harry anxiously.

Remus groaned, resting his head on his hand.

'Badly.  Very badly.  To Sirius' credit, he wasn't harsh about it; he tried to let her down gently but it didn't do any good.  She was furious, went into a screaming rage that it was all our fault, certain that Sirius didn't mean it and that we were responsible for trying to drive them apart.  When Sirius tried to explain it to her, she refused to listen.  She would not accept that he was finishing with her.

'For nearly a week, Allie took to following Sirius around, pestering him as to why he was ignoring her.  She just wouldn't take a hint.  Sirius thought that maybe if he ignored her for long enough, she'd finally get the message.  He was very wrong about that.  In her mind, we had 'stolen' her boyfriend deliberately to make her miserable.  So she sought her revenge.

'She didn't know about Sirius, James and Peter being Animagi, but she suspected there was something that she didn't know and she deduced that I had something to do with it.

'Hermione, do you know what is commonly used to kill werewolves?'

Hermione looked very surprised by the sudden apparent change in subject, as were Harry and Ron, but she answered anyway.

'Silver can be used, but I think that wolfsbane is more readily available,' she said nervously, uncomfortably aware that she was describing what could easily kill her former professor.  Remus didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

'Very good.  Now, the Wolfsbane Potion contains a very small, carefully controlled amount of the plant, and the effects are counteracted by other powerful components so that it doesn't cause any harm.  Unsurprisingly, Madam Pomfrey has medical records of every student in the school stored in the Hospital Wing.  Mine clearly states that I'm highly allergic to monkshood, another name for wolfsbane, and that I should not be exposed to it.'

Harry felt a sense of foreboding.  He didn't like the direction this conversation was going.

Remus continued.

'Allie must have found out somehow; luckily, I don't think she ever made the connection between monkshood and my lycanthropy, given my monthly disappearances.  Unfortunately, when I returned to classes after one of my transformations, we had salad at lunch.  Somehow she managed to slip some onto my plate.'

Hermione gasped in horror, clapping a hand over her mouth.  Ron and Harry looked equally horrified.

'Oh my goodness!' Hermione whispered breathlessly.  'What happened?'

'I swallowed it,' said Remus blandly.  He shifted uncomfortably, closing his eyes for a moment.  'I didn't notice anything at first … I was still feeling very tired from the night before … but after a minute or so I felt like I couldn't breath.  I can remember Lily pointing out that I'd suddenly come up with a strange angry red rash all over my face and neck, I could feel them swelling.  I was starting to panic because I couldn't breath properly … then I collapsed.  I woke up in the Hospital Wing a while later and was informed that I'd gone into anaphylactic shock, a serious allergic reaction.  I might have died if my friends hadn't gotten me to the Hospital Wing as fast as they did,' he added softly.  'They saved my life, and not for the first time.

'Sirius knew that Allie was responsible.   He couldn't believe that anyone could be so spiteful.  When he confronted her about it, all she cared about was the fact that he'd come back to talk to her.  Well, in situations like that, Sirius has all the subtlety of a brick.  He was so angry with her … he accused her of trying to kill me just because he didn't love her.  She refused to believe him, claiming that I deserved it for trying to keep him away from her.  From what I understand Sirius flatly told her that his friends had nothing to do with it.  She was far too controlling, possessive and narrow minded to ever understand the importance of friendship … only he used more words than that, and none too calmly.

'I think the only reason he didn't curse her was some underlying determination not to sink to her level, which took a lot of self restraint, considering that at that moment he hated her more than he did Snape.'

'Wow, I never thought _that_ was possible,' muttered Ron under his breath.

'So what happened then?' asked Harry quietly, sorry that he'd brought up such memories for Remus.

Remus didn't answer straight away.  His eyes wandered up to look at the stars for a minute, lost in thought.

'Allie finally left us alone,' he said finally.  'She reverted to her old vindictive self, if not more so.  Strange thing though … she never once tried to hex Sirius, which was quite unnerving – it was completely out of character.  Maybe she was still in shock – no one had ever stood up to her the way Sirius had, and he was the only person to ever respect and care about her.  It was harsh but the general feeling was that she deserved all she got.

'After we left Hogwarts we all lost contact with her, not that anyone made much of an effort.  Sirius may have tried but if he did none of us knew about it. We never heard from her again.  We never knew what happened to her or where she is now.' 

'I have a theory about that,' said Harry coldly.

'Oh?'

'I think this Allison and Tia are the same person,' he said. 'Why else would Professor Torr have a photo of Sirius and Allison in her office if she wasn't connected in some way? Allison disappears off the face of the earth … Tia Torr appears out of nowhere and everything she claims to be contradicts everything else she says! And her voice! It's dubbed! Hermione, do you have the Voice Box?'

Hermione shook her head. 

'Not with me, no. But Harry, I think we're missing something.'

'What?'

'Why?' she said simply. 'Let's say for the sake of the argument that you're right, that Professor Torr _is_ Allison … _why_ would she be doing this? She must have a reason for it.'

Harry's face fell, looking slightly put out.

'She has a point, Harry,' said Ron.

'I agree,' said Remus.

'But,' said Harry, 'but don't you think-'

'I think there's a slight possibility Harry, I just can't see why Allison would want to get back with Sirius after all these years. I'll admit I don't like Tia but there's no proof that she's Allison.'

'Why don't you like her?' asked Hermione, curiously.  'The majority of people we know seem to love her.'

'That mirror at the Three Broomsticks told us about you and Sirius arguing about her,' said Ron.  

Remus frowned.

'You've been talking to that mirror?  When you went looking for Sirius?'

Guiltily, the three of them nodded.

'Sorry, Remus,' said Harry.  'It's probably not any of our business-'

'No, it's very much your business,' said Remus swiftly.  'Our main argument was over your safety; I wanted to know why Sirius had allowed a total stranger to be your second line of defence after that talisman – I assume you _are_ still wearing it?'

Harry nodded, pulling it out from the neck of his robes to prove it.

'Good.  Although I don't know how you feel about Professor Torr being able to track you with that.'

'She knows where I am at all times?' Harry demanded, his stomach dropping unpleasantly.

'Not all the time, only if she activates the ring.  It acts like a homing signal, calling out to the talisman to indicate your position.  It's part of the reason why I was getting concerned; why wouldn't Sirius be the one to wear the ring?  He's made the effort to be here for you, yet he doesn't insist on being the one to go to your side first.  I am aware that the anti-apparition field surrounding Hogwarts is the main problem with that idea, but at least he'd know if you were in trouble and needed his help.  Knowing him, he'd still probably have figured out a way to get to you faster than you can say 'Quidditch'.

'However, when I asked Sirius about it, he just seemed completely indifferent to the whole situation, which is so unlike him.  He answered everything with a 'We can trust Tia, she knows what she's doing,' attitude.  When I got back the other day, I asked him why he didn't go to see you at Christmas and he just lost his temper with me, said it wasn't any of my business and told me to stop interfering with matters that did not concern me.  Personally I felt that Professor Torr had had more of an influence on him that he realised, and if what you say about this perfume is true, then I fear my suspicions could well be confirmed.'

'So what do we do now?' asked Harry, looking to Remus hopefully.

'I'm afraid we don't have any concrete evidence, Harry.  We can't prove that she's Allison, assuming that that is the case,'

'But there isn't any proof that she's who she says she is, either,' Harry insisted.  'We've checked everywhere.  There is no one in by the name of Tia Torr in the Quidditch field that she's supposed to be an expert in.  She confused two of the most basic fouls!  And you did say that Allison didn't know much about Quidditch.'

'But then why on earth would she pose as a professional?' asked Hermione, deeply confused.  'She must have known that it would be difficult to pull off, especially if she wasn't partially interested in the subject.'

'Maybe it was just an excuse to keep an eye on me,' said Harry,  'That way it would look like she was doing what Sirius asked her to do.  Sirius likes Quidditch, doesn't he?' he asked Remus.

'Harry, when we were at school we practically had to threaten Sirius with an Unforgivable to get him to give up his Beater's bat.  He loves Quidditch.'

'Well, there you go!' Ron said triumphantly.  'Something else that Sirius would find attractive in a woman; someone who _can_ tell the difference between a Quaffle and a Bludger.'

Remus mulled it over.

'I suppose that _could_ be a viable explanation,' he admitted.  'But I still don't see how we can prove it.'

'There must be a way,' Harry insisted.  'Couldn't you ask her something?  Something that only Allison would know?'

'Harry, I didn't know her that well. Sirius would probably be able to find out, but what's to stop her lying about the answer?'

'Assuming that Sirius would even ask her,' added Ron.

Harry felt his stomach twist. This wasn't fair. For a minute he thought he'd figured it out … but apparently not. Did they not have all the pieces? They did fit, if you pushed hard enough.

Remus must have read the look on his face because he said, 'Look, I'll have a word with Padfoot if you want me to, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to find out what happened to Allie. As for Tia … well, I really think you should talk to Sirius, Harry.'

'But … I-I can't. Not after last time,'

'He misses you,' Remus said softly. 'I know Sirius can be a bit hot-tempered at times but he does care about you more than anything … any_one_.' He gave Harry a hopeful smile. 'Think you'd be willing to bury the hatchet?'

Harry's face remained impassive for a moment, then he gave a small smile, hope kindling in his bright green eyes.

'He really misses me?'

'Only for twenty-four hours a day,' Remus chuckled and stood up. 'Now, I've got to head back down south, I need to check on Bella and pick up some Wolfsbane Potion. I'll be back the day after tomorrow and by then I expect to find you and Padfoot on speaking terms again, okay?' 

Harry grinned. 'Yes, sir!'

They waved goodbye as Remus swung back into the saddle, turning the horse to face the open sky. Squeezing Trold's sides with his knees, the horse broke into a trot, then a canter and launched himself and his rider over the battlements, spreading his wings and catching a gust of wind, flapping in the direction of the forest.

Harry watched until they were out of sight before turning to the other two.

'Come on,' he said. 'Lets get back to the Tower.'

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

**_*_**

**Author's Notes**

**Lil Lupin – **Ah, the anagram is 'Traitor', but I don't think it applies anymore.  I just didn't consider changing it when it came to rewriting the whole fic.  I enjoyed writing that last one; in fact I loved writing the last ten or so chapters, all good fun! ^_^  Chapter 13 of the SF is coming along fine.  Blimey, it's struck me that there's only seven left to write.   Then I can start another one!  Well, first I intend to catch up on some fics I've been meaning to read – got a long list of them!****

**Lilmonster2 – **Ooh, thank you!  I don't know what JK Rowling would think of it, but thanks for the suggestion. ^_^  

**Von – **I'm being read in Australia?  Wow!  No wonder there's a bit of difference with the time zones.    Nope, Remus isn't keen on P.Torr, although he is trying to be fair and keep an open mind; he's nice like that.  ^_^****

**Evil spapple pie – **Hee hee, yep my own room was the 'inspiration' for her office.  ^_^  My old carpet was presumably grey, although I often suspected that it was simply a very think layer of dust.  It's organised chaos as far as I'm concerned – I know exactly where everything is!    I did wonder what was going on with those seemingly random dots in your reviews, that solves that mystery then!  ^_^****

**Elbereth94 – **I love plot twists!  I'd like to incorporate as many as possible, have a complex story with a decent outcome … I have yet to succeed.  ^_^  Not doing too badly on this one but hopefully my next fic will be more impressive.  Ooh, got to keep my mouth shut about that; can't go revealing everything before I'm supposed to!  You want her to be evil?  Have to wait and see.  ^_^****

**Corrie – **Hope you liked the chapter.  ^_^

**Dragon-gurl – **Definably carrying on!  No fear of a sudden discontinuation – the fic is completely written and postings are twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays. (Assuming that the site doesn't crash or whatever.)  I've decided to adopt the policy of only ever posting complete fics, rather than post each chapter as I write them; it could take me forever to finish a fic that way. (Been there, done that, learnt from mistakes and vowed never again!)  ^_^  Enjoy the fic!****

**Christy –  '**Obsessed' just about sums up her attitude, believe me!  Everything is 'weird' and not making a lot of sense at the moment, I know, but all will be made clear in later chapters … I hope.  Hhm, you know, you're really not far off with that thought.**__**


	19. Knight of Wands

**Chapter Nineteen; Knight of Wands **

What with the O.W.L exams fast approaching, the fifth years were now being subjected to endless practise exams and revision classes. The following morning Professor Flitwick had the Gryffindors demonstrating all the charms that they'd learnt so far that year. Professor McGonagall wasn't any easier on them, scrutinising their efforts at transforming a plain cauldron into a fancy crystal cut bowl.

Over lunch, the fifth years revived a little over the meat pies and mixed vegetables. Hermione was speed-reading her Arithmancy textbook while Ron and Harry skimmed through _Unfogging The Future_, trying to prepare for their individual practise exams with Professor Trelawney.

'I can't remember what half of these mean,' Ron groaned, shuffling his Tarot pack. 'Suppose we're adlibbing our way through again?'

'Only if the Minor Arcana cards turn up,' Harry said, turning the cards over in his hands 

'I'm sure you'll do fine,' Hermione assured them as she finished eating, stuffing her book back into her bag. 'I'll see you two later, okay?' And she hurried off.

Harry and Ron traipsed up to the seventh floor and sat on the landing with the rest of the class, testing one another on the cards as Professor Trelawney called them one by one up to the classroom.

First Lavender was called, then ten minutes later she returned and Parvati disappeared up the ladder, followed by Dean, Neville, then Ron. Seamus and Harry gave up on last minute cramming to play a discreet game of Gobstones while they waited.

Ron finally slid back down the ladder, a sly grin on his face.

'Once again I fall back on the Divination Standby, oh how it serves me well,' he said dramatically, seemingly very pleased with himself.

'You couldn't remember anything, could you?' said Harry.

'Nope.' Ron didn't seem bothered. 'Just babble on about doom and gloom and you're home free. Besides, it's only the mock exam; I'll worry about the real one when it comes. Listen, I've got that stupid essay for Snape to finish so I'm heading down to the library. I'll see you later, okay?'

'Seamus Finnigan,' called the misty voice above their heads.

With a resigned sigh, Seamus scooped up his cards and clambered up the ladder as Ron left. Harry sat gazing out of the window at the forest below.

About ten minutes later, Seamus climbed back down the ladder, gave Harry the thumbs up, mouthing 'good luck' and left down the nearest staircase.

'Harry Potter,' came Professor Trelawney's voice.

Grimly, Harry grabbed his Tarot pack and climbed up the silvery ladder.

The classroom was dark and gloomy but for the space immediately in front of the roaring blue fire where Professor Trelawney sat at a large table draped with a black silk cloth, waiting for him. Bangles shining in the light of the flickering flames, she gestured silently to the empty seat opposite her.

Harry sat down, his palms sweating a little. He picked up his Tarot pack and shuffled them. Professor Trelawney watched as he dealt twelve cards in a large circular spread, face down, onto the table. 

'Now, my dear, interpret each card, one at a time. There's no hurry. Let the cards speak to you.' she said softly.

As much as Harry really wanted to get this over and done with, he restrained himself from rushing the reading. Besides, the fumes from the fire were making him feel drowsy. He reached for the first card. 

'The first represents the enquirer,' he said, turning it over. _Strength_. 'It shows ... um ... more than physical strength but also a ... err ... strength of character,' he said slowly. 

Professor Trelawney nodded. 'Which would certainly apply to you, my dear. An excellent card to begin with. Please continue.' 

The second card was the _Eight of Cups, _reversed. Harry frowned. He couldn't remember what that one meant. He sat for a few moments, staring at it, trying to remember.   Finally a vague answer came to mind.

'There are ... um ... problems with ... talking to others ... about problems.' he finished lamely. 

Professor Trelawney, however, accepted it. 

'Yes, indeed. It would be advised, my child, that whatever problems you have with others should be discussed calmly, without causing arguments that would only make the problem worse.' 

_Bit late for that_, Harry thought bitterly, thinking of Sirius. 

The next card would revolve around home life. _The Wheel of Fortune_, right way up. That one was easy. 

'A sudden change for the better in the near future.' Harry said swiftly, quoting the entry in _Unfogging the Future_. A change for the better would be impossible as far as the Dursleys were concerned but it wasn't as though the reading was particularly accurate anyway. 

Card number four stood for love and romance. Harry grimaced as he reached for it. _Please, don't be the Lovers. Please, don't be the Lovers. Please, don't- _

Thankfully, it wasn't _The Lovers _card. Instead it was _The Moon _card in the reversed position. 

'Deception,' said Harry, feeling the hatred for Professor Torr surge through him. 'Lies, trickery, misleading intentions. Just a doomed relationship. There's no honesty there at all. He can't trust her, she's evil!' 

'Oh, that's wonderful!' 

Harry snapped out of his riff to stare at Professor Trelawney. 

'Such feeling!' A proud smile shone on her face. '_Very_ well interpreted, my dear. That's marvellous!' She started to make some very rapid notes on her parchment. 

Harry bit his tongue. He was still venting about Sirius and Professor Torr without meaning to. Well, at least it looked like he'd get some decent marks on his exam. He glared stonily at the card. How irritatingly accurate it seemed. But still, coincidence. Right? 

Moving swiftly on Harry flipped over the next card. _Seven of Wands_. Definite improvement there. 

'I think that might reflect the recent Quidditch match. 'Risks that pay off', we won, no problem.' 

Professor Trelawney nodded and gestured to the next card. Obediently Harry turned it over to show _The Knight of Wands_. 

'Okay, this one represents ... someone ... that I know. Um ... he probably has a fiery nature.' Once again quoting the book, Harry felt that this tallied with Sirius rather well. But of course he wasn't about to mention that to Professor Trelawney, so he deliberately kept it vague. 

The next card also seemed to follow the Sirius theme. _The Three of Swords _reversed. 

Professor Trelawney gave a tragic sigh. 'It would appear that you have quarrelled with this person, a result of a misunderstanding?' she asked carefully. 

Glumly, Harry nodded. The card portrayed a large heart, pierced by three swords, a large crack in the heart was visible, a few drops of blood falling from it.  To Harry the swords looked as though they were about to strike him straight through the chest and stab him in the heart. Not that it would hurt as much as Sirius' words had done. 

'May I suggest, my dear, that you try to resolve this ... misunderstanding … calmly, reasonably. It won't do to get the Knight's temper up, I'm sure.' 

Harry sorely wanted to tell her to sod off and mind her own business, but stopped himself just in time. To avoid answering, he moved onto the next card. 

_Temperance. _

At which point Harry admitted that he couldn't recall the meaning of this card. Professor Trelawney obliged with an explanation. 

'This card is particularly encouraging, my dear. Clearly you believe that your views are correct, which, I daresay, caused your dispute with the Knight. Your patience will pay off eventually if you choose to talk your problems over diplomatically.' 

Talk the problem over? Fair enough, generally good advice, but he'd already tried that and the whole thing had backfired causing an even bigger gap between him and Sirius. He wasn't exactly in a hurry to try that again. Although, when he thought about it, Harry really wanted to talk to his godfather. He missed him. And he did promise Remus that he'd talk to Sirius soon.

Almost automatically Harry flipped over the next card, which was _The High Priestess.  _His mind went blank again.

Professor Trelawney was visibly disappointed, given that his reading of the Moon card in particular had been very well explained. Nevertheless, she talked him through it. 

'You are searching for the truth, but bear in mind that the_ Priestess_ is advising you to keep an open mind.  She is also indicating that you should follow your instincts. You'll know when it is time for you to act.' 

Luckily the next card was _The Page of Wands_, one that Harry could recall. 

'The Page normally represents a close friend. Someone who won't let me down,' he said fondly, thinking of Ron. 'The card can also mean that someone will deliver good news in the near future.' 

That seemed to win him some good points as Professor Trelawney jotted down some more notes on her parchment. 

With only two cards left, Harry wondered if the_ Death _card would show up. It had in all the other spreads he'd done. But the next card turned out to be _The Tower_, which was just as unwelcome. Mainly because Professor Trelawney immediately got that sympathetic look plastered all over her face. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her lip quivered and the hand holding the quill shook slightly as she tried to compose herself. Plus she appeared to have forgotten that Harry was supposed to be the one reading the cards because she launched into her doom and gloom reverie. 

'Events of cataclysmal proportions is soon to erupt into being, bringing destruction and ruin! Oh, my poor child!' Her luminous eyes gazed tragically at him, reflecting the dancing flames. 'Beware of this perilous ordeal that awaits you! I fear that nothing can be done to prevent it!' 

Harry sighed, and then remembered another note about _The Tower _card that he'd read somewhere. 

'Since the card is the right way up, does that not mean I'll get through it? Or at least learn from the experience? 

Professor Trelawney continued to gaze forlornly at Harry, as if she hadn't heard him. Feeling a little unnerved Harry dropped his gaze to the final card that would give insight to the outcome. 

He reached for it. 

_The Judgement_. The end of one course of events to make way for the new. But would this be a good or bad sign? 

Harry bluffed his way through that one, figuring that if he made if sound like the 'perilous ordeal' would result with his death, like she no doubt expected, he'd get some more good marks. 

With the exam finally over, Professor Trelawney dismissed him and Harry gratefully left, descending the silver ladder and headed off down the corridor, back to Gryffindor Tower, thoroughly relived. It had definitely gone better than his exam with the crystal ball in his third year. 

Even though the reading could hardly be considered accurate, it did get Harry thinking. He really did need to talk to Sirius and sort out this mess. _The High Priestess _sounded encouraging: follow your instincts, that's what he'd been doing from the start and had been perfectly right to do so according to the cards. 

Harry stopped and looked out of the corridor window. The view was amazing, with the sun dropping below the horizon, the sky streaked with pink and yellow, highlighting the forest and mountains. Harry wondered if Sirius was watching it too. Was he thinking about his godson at all? It was stupid really, if you thought about it. Harry loved Sirius more than anyone in the world, he was the father he never knew. And Sirius cared a great deal for Harry anyone could see that.  He escaped Azkaban just so he could watch over Harry and protect him. Sirius had lived off rats for crying out loud! All of this, he'd done for Harry. 

So how on Earth had Tia come between them? No, not Tia. Allison. Sirius' ex-girlfriend from sixth year. But why? _Why_? This still wasn't making any sense! Why would anyone go through the trouble of altering their appearance so drastically, adopt a false name and get back with an old boyfriend?

 Grimacing with frustration, Harry stared out of the window, praying that any moment now, everything would just fall into place and make perfect sense.

No such luck.  Forcing himself to concentrate, Harry went over it again.  So far the only possible answer they'd come up with was that Allison was Professor Torr.  But assuming that was true, why had she come back?  Did she even truly love Sirius?  Had she simply undergone this drastic change for him, disguising herself so that he wouldn't recognise her and risk being rejected all over again?

In a twisted way, it did make a sad kind of sense.

Leaning against the windowsill, Harry felt the cold talisman rub against his chest.  Reaching down the front of his robes, Harry pulled it out, staring at it.  Sirius had told him that Remus, Dumbledore and Arabella had worked on it, so he had no reason to doubt the protective spell bound to it.  But if there was indeed a tracking spell on it as well, that meant that Professor Torr could locate him whenever she wanted too.  Track him down wherever he was.  Harry gave an involuntary shudder.

Harry shot a look up and down the corridor as if expecting to see Allison peeking round a corner, watching him. It really gave him the creeps.

But what was her agenda?  What could she possibly gain from all this?  What did Sirius have that was of any use to her?  Really, the only thing that made any sense was … _Potter, you idiot! _

Harry could have punched himself in the head. How thick could you get? Getting into a relationship with his godfather and taking the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts? What's the connection? _Harry_. And who well and truly wanted Harry at least sixty feet under? 

Three guesses and the first two don't count. 

'She's one of them. She has to be!' 

Harry set off again, trying not to run flat out, but hurrying just the same, his mind buzzing. He'd wanted everything to make sense, but now that he did he wasn't thrilled with his answer.  

Something was going to happen, and soon. 

_You'll know when it's time to act,_ that's what Professor Trelawney had said. _She's right,_ Harry thought grimly as he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. _I do know._

_The time to act is now._

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

*

**Author's Notes**

Just prior to posting this chapter, I was thrilled to see on my stats that I'd received my 100th review!!  I'm so happy!!  *screams delightedly*  Unfortunately it's not showing on the review page; so thank you to that reviewer, who ever you are!  I will leave a response to your comments at the end of the next chapter for you.  ^_^  Thanks for really making my day!

**Elbereth94 **– Ah ha, bits and pieces coming together now, not all making perfect sense, but it's getting there.  *claps hands over ears*  Wow, not so loud!  Harry will get to speak to Sirius very soon, but will he come to his senses?  *shakes head*  Sorry, not saying a word!  ^_^  I don't want to spoil it!

**Lil Lupin** – I've been trying desperately to come up with a title for the Sirius fic; I think I've got one but I'm not sure if it'll fit.  I'll have to decide when I've finished the whole thing.  Until then I'm afraid it's stuck as SF.  ^_^  'Show Not Your Fear' is looking great!  I'm trying to read several chapters every day so I'll soon be demanding updates!

**Evol norgara** – Don't worry about it.  So long as you enjoyed the chapter.  ^_^  Unfortunately it'll still be a few more chapters until more light is shed on Professor Torr.  I only hope it'll all make sense!  Hey, of course it matters!  If you can't tell the difference between the balls, how can you like Quidditch?  Or call yourself a fan of Harry Potter?!  (I absolutely loved the Quidditch scenes in the films; I kept watching the first one over and over when I got it on video.)  ^_^

**Evil spapple pie** – Oh, I didn't realise you were in Australia as well!  That is so cool to think I'm being read on the other side of the world. Wow.  Just so you know, I'm in the U.K.  In the middle of England to be more precise.   Ooo, improvement on the 'dots' there, nice.  ^_^  

Hhhm, still confused as to her motive?  It may help if you try to forget about the notion of 'revenge' for a minute.  Have another look at Remus' description of how she was when she dating Sirius, see if you get any ideas; vague or not!  Damn it, I can't just come out and say what's what!  Nothing to stop me trying to drop hints, of course! 

**Von **– LOL, yeah I love a good angst-y fic too.  Sorry, another 'trans' chapter as you put it; still, look on the bright side!  Chapter 20 and onwards, the pace really picks up.  I know this chapter may have seemed a bit dull as well but there are important bits and pieces here in the reading; I'm not saying which however!  My lips are sealed.  *shuts mouth*

**MorganD –** There you are!  'Envious compliments', huh?  *grins*  I wasn't too sure about trying to narrate a Quidditch match, but if at least person likes it, I can't be doing too badly, can I? ^_^  I felt I had to include a Quidditch match for the simple reason it is part of the life at Hogwarts, having the Inter-House matches spaced throughout the year.  It's been a while since the last one.  My second reason for including one was quite simply; without it, that chapter would have been much too short for my liking.  I don't like leaving chapters too short.  Yes, okay, this chapter here isn't very long at all but this part just had to sit on its own; it won't sit well with the two on either side of it.   On the other hand, the post-match party enabled Harry, Ron and Hermione to sneak out without causing suspicion, claiming that they were going for more food.  But now I've thought about it, it is a little blunt.  Hhhm, I'll have to watch out for that in future.

Tia was in her private quarters asleep at the time – yes, she was on her own!  Sirius was in Hogsmeade still.  And no, he did not go to the match. *mutters to self*  I forgot to mention that when I rewrote this part.  I should have included it, my mistake.

Interesting question; I like to think that they all move differently to one another.  Might have to check with JK Rowling to be sure.  ^_^

I never thought of that!  And that's a good point, I suppose other potions could be made with the same ingredients.   Hhm, maybe I should have had them find a recipe or something.    And you may want to ask me that question again after a few chapters … with a bit of luck that love/passion spell stuff will be sorted out a bit later.  Just hang in there!

Phew, this is a long reply.

Yep, Allison needed more background, that was definitely missing from the first fic.  Making a tad more sense now?  Hope so.  You know, that is a good question, how did Lily get along with the rest of the Marauders?  I do have a vague notion of how she could have, but that would have to be part of another fic that I hope to get round to writing sometime in the future; a full length Marauder fic!  Unfortunately, it's kinda at the bottom of my 'fics to write' list, on which there are currently two others, plus a songfic that I've been meaning to write for I don't know how long!   

As you can see, we just had a Sybil chapter!  I liked writing that one, gave me an excuse to have my Tarot cards out all over the place trying to work out the reading for Harry!  ^_^

See you next time!

_~Voltora~_


	20. Waking to a Nightmare

**Chapter Twenty; Waking To A Nightmare**

Had it been at all possible, Harry would have left the castle right there and then. But darkness was falling rapidly. He couldn't risk it; not right now. He'd have to wait until morning to find Sirius. Using one of the secret passages was a bad idea. There was the possibility that Allison could know about any one of them. So how else could he sneak out? More importantly, how was he going to convince Sirius that his girlfriend might well be a Death Eater out for his godson's blood? If only Remus would get back sooner, he'd back him up. The thought of waiting for him did cross Harry's mind but was dismissed quickly enough. There just wasn't enough time. 

Harry tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Finally, he couldn't take it just lying there; sleep just wouldn't come. Silently, he pulled his Invisibility Cloak out from under his bed, put it on and headed downstairs to the common room. Once there, he made his way over to the staircase leading up to the girls' dormitories. 

'Hope Hermione's awake,' Harry muttered to himself as he located the correct dorm. 

She wasn't awake, nor was she an easy person to wake up. Harry gently shook her shoulder to begin with but she stayed fast asleep. So he shook her shoulder slightly harder, whispering her name. She simply rolled over, pulling the covers up to her chin, dead to the world. 

Harry was about to give up and go back to bed when Crookshanks wriggled out from under Lavender's bed. Whether or not the cat could see Harry, he did seem to be aware that someone wanted his owner to wake up; so he obliged. The cat draped himself around Hermione's shoulders, mewed in her ear and gently batted her face with a paw. Hermione scrunched up her face and gave an inaudible groan. 

'Hermione! Wake up!' Harry whispered. 

'Uurrgh.' She sat up, bleary eyed with her bushy hair sticking up in all directions. Yawning, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. 'Someone there?' she murmured. 

'Yeah, it's me.' Harry slipped the Cloak off his head. 

Hermione stared, suddenly much more awake. 

'Harry! What are you doing in here?' She demanded angrily, modestly pulling the bed covers up over her chest. 'This is the _girls_ dorm, or had you forgotten?' 

'Sorry, but I needed to ask you something.' 

'This had _better_ be good.' 

'It's about this talisman.' Harry fingered it. He didn't want to take it off, not just yet anyway. 'I know that Professor Torr can track me through this with that ring of hers,' Hermione nodded. 'So, I was wondering if you knew of something that'll distort the connection – make it harder for her to tell where I am.' 

'Well, it shouldn't be too difficult, but-' she gave Harry a sidelong look. 'Why would you want to do that?' 

Harry sighed. He might as well explain it to Hermione now, and then she could tell Ron in the morning. 

'I'm going to see Sirius. I need to convince him that Professor Torr isn't who she appears to be.' 

'But Harry, you really don't have any solid proof,' said Hermione gently.  'I know we have bits and pieces but in all honesty it doesn't add up to much.'

'I know that, I've just got to get him to listen to me. Try to get through to him.' 

Hermione looked somewhat doubtful. 

'And before you start on about it being against the rules, I'm going to be as quick as I can. Straight there, straight back.' 

'It's not as though I'll be able to convince you not to go.' Hermione held out her hand. 'Give me the talisman; I'll see what I can do.' 

* 

Harry did manage to get a few hours sleep, but not before figuring out exactly what he was going to do. It wasn't a brilliant plan considering how many things could go wrong, but he had no idea how else to do it. One of the biggest problems was skiving Transfiguration right after Herbology. With a bit of luck he would be back in no time, probably get at least a weeks worth of detentions, but it would be more than worth it, if he could talk to Sirius. 

The talisman would send out a false signal once he was off the grounds thanks to Hermione. Professor Torr would assume that he was still in lesson, never knowing that he'd done a runner. 

The biggest problem of all was, of course, convincing Sirius. For everything else Harry had something that vaguely resembled a well thought out plan.  Yet everything Harry wanted to say to his godfather just seemed to go round and round his brain and then get lost on the way to his mouth. 

* 

Over breakfast the following morning, Hermione explained to Ron what Harry was intending to do. Harry didn't have to look at Ron to know what his reaction was. Initially against the going out alone part, but essentially he knew better than to argue with him. Harry's mind was firmly made up and wasn't open to persuasion. 

The plan was simple enough. Once the Gryffindors were dismissed from their first lesson, Herbology, Harry would slip away behind the greenhouses and enter the forest. From there he would summon his broomstick and fly to Hogsmeade to confront Sirius. Harry could only hope that Sirius would listen to him. Would he even want to talk to him or would he just refuse to believe him? 

Harry glared at the phoney professor at the staff table. Smiling and laughing with Professor Sinistra, you wouldn't believe at first glance that she was anything but a normal young woman. It made Harry sick to his stomach that she had fooled Sirius so easily. 

Forcing himself to stay focused, Harry went over his 'escape' plan one more time. 

To ensure that no one saw a rider-less broomstick flying towards the forest, Harry had secured the Invisibility Cloak to it the night before and placed it on the dormitory window ledge. One problem solved, just a few hundred more to get through. 

* 

Ron and Hermione didn't even bother trying to convince Harry not to sneak out of school; instead they resigned themselves to the task of explaining his absence from lessons until he got back. 

'We can't say you've gone to the hospital wing because Professor McGonagall will check,' said Ron as they headed for Greenhouse Three. 

'Well, say I've gone to fetch my homework or something.' 

'The best we can do is distract her from noticing that you're not coming to Transfiguration at all,' said Hermione, disapproval evident from her tone of voice. 'You will try to be quick, won't you Harry? Because people are going to think something's happened and-' 

'Hermione,' Harry butted in. 'I'll try but I can't promise I'll be back in time. I have to make Sirius believe me and I won't be back until then.' 

This statement and the look of determination on his face only increased the concern that Ron and Hermione felt for Harry. Even under normal circumstances, leaving Hogwarts grounds without permission was dangerous. But to attempt it with Death Eaters possibly lurking around and contacting an escaped convicted murderer? If Harry got hurt or captured or - Hermione firmly pushed the thought away. She didn't want to think about it. 

* 

Normally, Herbology lessons passed quite quickly, but today Harry was sure that someone was making the clocks run backwards. Every time he checked his watch, the hands either hadn't moved or appeared to have shifted back a minute. 

After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang. As the students filed out and began to head for the castle, Harry hung back on the pretence of tying his shoelace before slipping around the back of the next greenhouse, out of sight of Professor Sprout. Ron and Hermione walked straight up to the castle without even daring to look back to see if Harry had made it into the forest. 

'Do you think he'll be alright, Ron?' Hermione whispered nervously as they entered the Entrance Hall. 

'Of course he will!' said Ron, almost forcibly. 'This is Harry we're talking about. He can take care of himself ... he'll be fine ... right?' 

_Liar. _

* 

Under the cover of the huge, towering trees, Harry watched as the students disappeared into the castle. Once the doors had closed behind them, Harry pulled out his wand. Taking a deep, calming breath, he raised his wand, focused hard and shouted _'Accio Firebolt!' _

Harry stood still as a statue, waiting, listening. 

With a sudden _whoosh_, Harry heard something flash past him and stop. Stuffing his wand back inside his robes, Harry stepped forward, reaching out with both hands, trying to find the broomstick. After a minute of blind fumbling through the air, his hands closed over something solid. Harry tugged the Cloak off the broomstick and put it on. Swinging a leg over the Firebolt, Harry shot a nervous glance over the greenhouses then at Hagrid's cabin before reminding himself that no one could see him now. After making sure that the broom was also completely hidden from sight, Harry took off and headed over the lawns, over the gateway and straight for Hogsmeade. He kept only about ten metres off the ground but poured on the speed and in no time at all was soaring over the crowds in the High Street of Hogsmeade. 

* 

Back at Hogwarts, Hermione was trying to convince Professor McGonagall that Harry had gone to fetch his homework from Gryffindor Tower. She didn't take it very well at all.  She pursed her lips disapprovingly and told Hermione to take her seat; they would begin the lesson without him.  But when Harry failed to show up after waiting twenty minutes, Professor McGonagall sent Dean to find him. 

Ron sat fidgeting at the back of the classroom, casting worried glances out of the window at the forest. 

* 

Although the journey to Hogsmeade was quick, Harry had to spend more than a quarter of an hour searching for the Three Broomsticks.  Everything looked different from the air and Harry swore he must have flown right past the pub twice without realising it.  

Deciding to chance it, Harry flew lower, barely a few inches above the crowd below.  Able to get his bearings at last, Harry quickly headed for the correct street.

'Finally!' he muttered, catching sight of the tavern. 

Harry guided the broom down swiftly and dismounted at the entrance. He was just about to push open when the door when he stopped himself.  Since entering the wizarding world he had yet to see a door open of its own accord.  It would undoubtedly be looked upon as slightly suspicious.  Harry therefore waited to one side of the door, waiting for a customer to approach.

He was in luck.  A pair of elderly witches was coming straight towards him, carrying bags of shopping.  As they stepped up to the door, someone opened it from the inside. A kindly voice said, 'Oh, pardon me, ladies.'   

The elderly witches thanked the wizard as he stepped back, holding the door open for them.  Falling into step behind them, Harry slipped inside, sidestepping to avoid the wizard as he left, shutting the door.

The pub wasn't as crowded as Harry feared it might have been.  The milling crowd still posed a problem, however.  Clutching the Cloak tightly around himself, Harry slowly made his way across the room, keeping to the wall and slipping between tables whenever possible.  

Reaching the staircase behind the bar, Harry ducked under Madam Rosemerta's arms as she strode past, two large trays of drinks in her hands.  The stairs creaked slightly as he hurried up them.  The landing was dimly lit and deserted.  Not taking any chances, Harry flattened himself to the wall, edging down the corridor towards room 5.

At the door, Harry raised his hand to knock when he hesitated.  What if Sirius was still mad at him? As much as Harry loved his godfather, he knew Sirius had a fiery temper that was best avoided if at all possible. Hand suspended in midair, Harry suddenly felt that maybe this was a bad idea.   

Harry gave himself a mental slap. He _had_ to talk to him! Professor Torr was bad news and Sirius couldn't see that. Harry had to sort this out.  He quickly rapped on the door before he could change his mind again.  

There was no answer.  Pressing his ear to the door, Harry heard nothing.  Grabbing the handle, he gave the password, and opened the door.  Quickly, Harry stepped into the room, closed the door and pulled off the Cloak. 

'Sirius?' he called, a little hesitantly. 'Are you in here?' 

No answer. 

Harry edged further into the room, peering round the bathroom door.  There was no one around.  Except –

'Hello, there.  Didn't expect to see you here again.'

The mirror sounded in a pleasant enough mood and Harry wasted no time in enquiring as to his godfather's whereabouts.

'Again?' the mirror asked.  'You do realise that it's the parent's responsibility to know where the child is, not the other way around?'

'I wouldn't really know,' said Harry coldly.  'Mine are dead.  Sirius is the only family I have, so if you've any idea where he is, I'd like to know, please.'

'Er, he went out about half an hour ago.  He shouldn't be long.  He's never gone for more than two hours at a time.  You want to sit and wait for him?  I can keep you company … I'm not planning on going anywhere.'

Harry nodded, sombrely, and sat down on the bed to wait. 

* 

Professor McGonagall glared at Ron and Hermione sternly. Dean had returned without Harry, claiming that Harry hadn't been in the Tower. A quick word with the Fat Lady was enough to confirm this and Professor McGonagall took Ron and Hermione straight to her office once class was over. 

'Well?' she asked, shifting her gaze from one student to the other and back again. 'Where is Harry?' 

Ron and Hermione exchanged nervous glances but didn't speak. 

'Let's try again,' she said coldly. 'Was Harry in Herbology with you this morning?' 

A pause, then - 

'Yes, Professor.' said Ron quietly. 

'And did he come back to the castle at the end of the lesson?' 

No answer. 

'I'll take your silence as a no then, shall I?' Hermione looked up from her lap, looking quite scared. 'I'm fully aware that you're hiding something, otherwise you would tell me where Harry is. Now, I must express my concern because if Harry is in any danger, we can't help him if we don't know where he is.' 

'But we don't know where he is either, Professor!' Hermione ventured, which in a way was true, since they had no idea if Harry had reached Hogsmeade or not. 'He said he'd forgotten his homework and was going back to Gryffindor Tower to get it. We haven't seen him since!' 

Ron nodded vigorously in agreement, hoping that Harry was having better luck than they were. 

* 

Harry sat on the edge of the bed, only half listening to the mirror's idle chatter.  He was going over what he wanted to say to Sirius, but each time he tried, the words came out sounding hollow and without meaning. 

Harry checked his watch and grimaced. Transfiguration was just about to end. He couldn't risk missing Potions as well, although the idea was very much appealing. However, Harry stayed where he was. He might not get another chance to talk to Sirius and he needed to see him to set the record straight. 

The door handle rattled.  Harry sat up sharply as the door swung open.  A huge, bear-like black dog with pale eyes stuck its head inside.  Sirius.  He froze as he caught sight of Harry.  Shouldering the door open, Sirius hurried inside, turned, shouldered the door shut, and then transformed back into human form in the blink of an eye.

'Harry! What are you doing here? Are you alright?' Sirius hurried over, looking gravely concerned. 

Harry suddenly felt a great deal calmer than before. Sirius was worried about his godson, Harry was thrilled to see him, and everything seemed perfectly normal between them. 

For all of about two seconds. 

'No, I'm not alright.' Harry stood up and tried to look Sirius straight in the eyes but then his mouth went dry. _Come on, say it! _

Sirius didn't say anything. He was watching Harry anxiously. Harry's nerve almost failed him at that point but the words came tumbling out of his mouth without conscious thought. 

'It's about Professor Torr.' 

The expression on Sirius' face changed from concern to exasperation faster than he could transform. 

'Harry-' 

'Sirius, listen to me!' Harry was nearly shouting, taking himself and Sirius by surprise. He _had_ to say this whether Sirius wanted to hear it or not. 'She's not who you think she is! Tia Torr isn't even her real name; it's Allison DeVice! Do you remember her from school? You dated her during your sixth year!' 

Sirius' face blanched at the mention of his ex-girlfriend's name. 

'How do you ...' 

'Remus told me. I know about why you broke up with her and what she did to Remus afterwards.' 

Sirius mouthed silently. He stared at Harry, his expression difficult to read. Harry ploughed on, afraid that if Sirius interrupted, he wouldn't be able to explain everything. 

'She lied to you about everything! You can't trust her! Even the Kneazle recognised her as being untrustworthy!' Sirius turned away from him, shaking his head. 'Sirius, you've _got_ to believe me!' Harry was starting to feel desperate. What else could he possibly say? 'She's evil, Sirius, she's a Dea-' 

Harry's words died on his tongue as a sudden burst of horrific pain shot through his head - his scar! 

He cried out in agony, clutching his head. His vision clouded over, his legs gave way beneath him as he fell forward, only dimly aware of Sirius catching hold of him, calling his name ... 

_A thick blue-green mist surged around him, swirling round and round at high speeds as though he were within a violent windstorm. The roar of the wind pounded his eardrums, the kaleidoscope of colours making his head spin and his stomach churn. _

_Then, all at once, all sound ceased._

_Silence._

_Deathly silence._

_Broken by a spine tingling, nerving racking high cackle; a hollow laugh that resonated through Harry's body. A pulsing throb emanated from his scar, coursing painfully through his body._

_Two enormous eyes loomed out of the darkness beyond the storm clouds. Deep scarlet with hideous cat-like iris in each eye flashed like lightning right in front of Harry. Within them Harry could see what he recognised as Hogwarts castle, silhouetted against a glowing full moon. _

_Then the eyes vanished as fast as they'd appeared to be replaced by the imposing sight of a dark, formidable fortress perched on a bleak, barren rock surrounded by a surging, storm tossed grey ocean. _

_Darkness, despair and misery just emanated from it, so powerful that Harry could almost see it, touch it. A wave of coldness washed over him with sudden realisation._

_The Azkaban Fortress._

_Moaning and shrieking of the prisoners carried on the wind. The cries of the guilty and those of the innocent; who could tell the difference?_

_A black mass surged out of the main gates, marching slowly in organised rows. Rows upon rows of advancing Dementors. Hoods low over their faces, a deep rasping sound echoing from the soulless depths._

_Harry was not aware of his body. All he knew was the bleak emotions the Dementors induced upon his mind._

_One Dementor paused and pulled off its black hood. The hideous, half rotted face with the shapeless, soul-sucking mouth, morphed into human form._

_Wormtail._

_Staring straight into Harry's eyes, he gave a twisted smile and, using a silver hand, rolled up the left sleeve of his robes._

_The Dark Mark filled the whole of Harry's vision. Blood red, then burnt black. In an instant it was composed of emerald green stars with a real snake slithering out of its gaping moth._

_With an ominous hiss, the snake lunged for Harry, fangs exposed …_

'Harry! Can you hear me? _Harry!'_

Harry's eyes snapped open, then he closed then again with a grimace. His head felt as though it'd been hit with a ton of bricks. Repeatedly.

'Harry, are you alright?'

Sirius' face swam into focus as Harry slowly opened his eyes. Sirius was white with shock, bending over him. The lightning scar was burning painfully but Harry ignored it and tried to sit up.

'Whoa! Lie still.' Sirius held him firmly. 'You might hurt yourself. You scared me half to death -'

'Voldemort,' Harry croaked, trying to hold onto the images as they threatened to slip away.

Sirius froze.

'What?'

'Voldemort … he's coming … Hogwarts … he's going to attack Hogwarts!'

'Slow down, Harry. Take a few deep breaths,' Sirius gently helped Harry up into a sitting position, holding him against his chest. Harry couldn't stop shivering, whether it was from fear or shock he couldn't tell. All he knew was that everyone was in danger.

He had to warn them. Fast.

Holding onto Sirius, Harry quickly described the vision with as much detail as possible.

'I saw the full moon … that's tonight, the attack's tonight! Have to warn them …'

Harry scrambled to his feet, helped up by Sirius.

'Right, Harry take your broom, get back to Hogwarts and warn Dumbledore. There's not enough time to evacuate the school, they'll have to brace themselves for an attack. I'll take Buckbeak and get Remus - he can't be far off.'   Sirius flung open the window.

'But-but the full moon-'

'It's not for hours yet, don't worry.'

Harry grabbed his Firebolt and mounted it, the Cloak in his robe pocket. 

'Are you sure you're feeling well enough to fly?' Sirius asked.

Harry nodded, still ignoring the throbbing of his scar.

'Okay, now get going,' 

And he gave Harry a hug. A little surprised, but suddenly feeling a lot better, Harry returned the hug.

Sirius slowly let go of him and ushered him to the window.  Kicking off from the ground, Harry ducked his head and flew out the window.  Hovering just outside, he looked over his shoulder to see his godfather transform, leap out of the window and jump onto the low roof of the stable block.  Dropping to the ground, he ran inside, barking loudly.  Within minutes, Buckbeak came trotting out, Sirius, in human form once more, on his back.  Spreading his huge wings, Buckbeak broke into a run and launched himself up into the air.

Harry rose with them up into the sky, riding the air currents to quickly gain height.

Harry and Sirius exchanged a final glance, then separated; Harry to the north and Sirius to the south, both of them flying as fast as they could.

Both of them praying that they wouldn't be too late.

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated._**

**_*_**

**Authors Notes**

**Christy – **You wonderful person!  You gave me my 100th review! *gives Christy a big hug*  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  That really made my day!  ^_^

**Hpdigigal – **No, unfortunately I am not the Goddess of Literature, JK Rowling. *sigh*  I'd dearly love to lay claim to creating Harry Potter but I can't; I'm merely a very obsessed fan who loves to write with her characters.  Glad you like the fic that much to ask me though!  ^_^

**Evol norgara – **Yep, I read Tarot.  Not brilliantly but I read them.  ^_^   Oh I would love for Quidditch to be real!  I think I'd play Chaser or Keeper.  I'd never make a good Seeker; my eyesight's awful and there's no way you'd get me flying around trying to hit those cannonballs they call Bludgers!****

**Evil spapple pie – **You have no idea how long it took me to figure out Harry's reading!  I had my Tarot deck _all_ over my room, constantly referring to notes and books.  I was so glad when I'd finally managed it.  Ooooh, I really can't say if you're right or not!  *struggles not to say anything*  Okay, you're closer than you were before, but her motives aren't fully explained for at least a few more chapters.

**Lil Lupin – **Tarot cards are great to play around with, so long as you have a decent deck.  I waited months to get hold my current deck; the Dragon Tarot, (You've seen me use it in chapter 9 of the SF, haven't you?)  There's an awful lot to try and remember but it's all good fun.  Have a go if you can get hold of a good deck.  Just a word of advice; try to get one that has pictures on the Minor Arcana cards, rather than those that just show 4 cups on the Four of Cups card; you'll never remember what they mean that way!   ****

**Dragon-gurl – **Glad you like it so far!  ^_^

**Von – **Okay, don't worry about any uneventful chapters, now everything just gets up and goes!  Lot more action coming up in the remaining chapters.  Change for the better in the family situation?  Yeah, Harry's probably praying day and night for the Dursley's to kick him out!  ^_^  Have to wait and see what the outcome is.**__**


	21. Dark Threat

**Chapter Twenty-one; Dark Threat**

Fields and forests were nothing but a hazy blur three hundred feet below as Harry flew with all the speed of the winds, straight as an arrow towards Hogwarts castle.

Gripping the Firebolt firmly, Harry lay flat to the handle, the wind whipping back his hair and robes. Though still feeling a little dizzy from the vision, Harry did not slow down, running over the images in his mind; the full moon … an army of Death Eaters … Dementors … the Dark Lord himself … all heading for Hogwarts.

There was no time for fear.

All he could think of was to warn them.

Pushing the Firebolt to its absolute limit, Harry rocketed down into the castle grounds.

*

Ron and Hermione were sick with nerves as they hurried after Professor McGonagall whose lips were the thinnest of thin lines. After half an hour of failing to get a straight answer from either of them, she had lost patience with them.

'Ron,' Hermione whispered desperately behind McGonagall's back as she led them down a staircase. 'We can't lie to Dumbledore – we _can't._'

Ron was looking very pale under his freckles.

'Maybe if we just don't say anything – I mean – they can't _force_ us to say – can they?'

Hermione just looked at him, making an odd high-pitched noise in her throat. Ron did not take that as a good sign.

'Look,' he hissed back as they crossed the top of the marble staircase leading down to the Entrance Hall. 'Maybe we won't have to say anything … for all we know Harry might be … flying towards us right now,' 

Ron stared, wide eyed as the front doors were flung open and Harry came pelting into the Entrance Hall on his broomstick. Students milling in the Hall quickly ducked to avoid him as he shot over their heads and soared up the marble staircase towards Ron and Hermione.

Professor McGonagall stared as Harry swung off the broom at the top of the stairs and raced towards them without even slowing down.

'Potter! Where on earth-'

'Sorry Professor but I need to see the Headmaster,' Harry said in a rush, running straight past her and off in the direction of the staff room.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look, then quickly followed, leaving Professor McGonagall behind.

Further up the corridor Harry paused just long enough to knock hurriedly on the staff room door before shoving it open and darting inside.

Inside, several of the professors there turned in surprise at the sudden intrusion. Harry ignored the puzzled looks, heading over to Dumbledore who rose from his chair looking gravely concerned. 

'Professor,' Harry gasping between breaths, leant on his broom for support. 'Hogwarts – an attack – He – He's coming – got to do something!'

Judging by the baffled expressions on everyone's faces, no one appeared to have followed any of this.

'Harry, please try and calm down,' said Dumbledore. 'Catch your breath first.'

Harry nodded but any further attempts to explain were cut short as Ron and Hermione came hurtling into the room, only just managing to avoid ramming into Harry. Professor McGonagall arrived a few seconds later, out of breath with one hand holding her hat in place.

'Granger – Weasley!' she scowled. 'Professor Dumbledore, I'm dreadfully sorry but-'

'Minerva, please,' said Dumbledore raising a hand. McGonagall fell silent, looking perplexed.

Placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, Dumbledore guided him to the nearest chair. Gratefully, Harry sat down, still breathing hard. After a few minutes he was able to speak.

'Professor, the Dark Lord's going to launch an attack on Hogwarts tonight. He's got an army of Death Eaters and Dementors – we've got to do something.'

Most of the staff was genuinely shocked by his words. Professor Flitwick gave a startled squeak and fell off his chair and Professor Sprout dropped her cup of tea. Professor McGonagall appeared apprehensive, fixing Harry with her steely gaze.

'Potter, how could you possibly-'

'My scar,' he said, meeting Dumbledore's ice blue eyes. 'It started burning and I think I must have passed out, it hurt so much – then I had a – a vision.'

'What did you see, Harry?' asked Dumbledore calmly.

'Voldemort … well, his eyes anyway.' Harry couldn't suppress a shudder and several people flinched at the Dark Lord's name. Hermione gave a terrified gasp, clapping a hand over her mouth. 'I could see Hogwarts and the full moon in his eyes. Then I saw Azkaban … hundreds of Dementors and Death Eaters … and the Dark Mark.'

'Anything else?' Dumbledore asked, looking intently into Harry's eyes. 'Anything at all?'

Harry racked his brain, struggling to remember.

'Just a really huge snake,' he said slowly. 'It lunged at me from the Dark Mark, then I woke up.'

'Where were you when your scar started hurting?'

'With Si-Snuffles … in Hogsmeade.'

'Where is he now?'

'He went to find Remus. He told me to get back here fast and warn you. He said there wouldn't be time to evacuate the students, that we'd have to brace ourselves for the attack.'

Dumbledore nodded. 'He's probably right,' he muttered distractedly. 'But there's no reason not to try.'

Dumbledore straightened up, pointing his wand at his throat, muttering a spell, then spoke loudly to the room, his voice echoing as it travelled magically magnified throughout the castle; to every room, down every corridor and staircase and across the grounds.

_'Attention all students and staff members,'_ he called. _'We have an emergency. All students are to return to their house dormitories immediately. All staff to report to the staff room. Quickly as you can, please.'_

His voice returned to normal as he turned to address the staff.

'Heads of Houses will you please ensure that all the students are accounted for? And please seal the dormitory entrances.'

'But,' Harry stood up, 'Professor, can't we help?' He looked to Ron and Hermione for support. 'There are hundreds of us. No offence but I don't think you'd last very long against a whole army. Surely you could use our help?'

'Mr Potter!' McGonagall looked shocked. 

'But Professor,' Hermione spoke up nervously. 'There are so many of us-'

'And none that should be put at such risk.' McGonagall snapped. 'Albus?' 

Dumbledore gazed impassively down at Harry, Ron and Hermione's hopeful faces. He sighed.

'Our priority is to protect the students,' he said flatly.

As one, their faces fell in disbelief.

'Harry, you've already done what you can. Please return to your dormitory.'

'But we can help!' Ron insisted as McGonagall made to take them out of the room. 'You can't possibly manage on your own!'

'We will be alerting the Ministry,' Dumbledore assured him. 'You needn't worry. Tia, will you kindly contact the Ministry and arrange for a Floo portal to be opened? If we can, we'll Floo all the students to London.'

Harry spun round, a cold chill running up his spine. Professor Torr had been standing behind them. How long had she been there? Harry hadn't noticed her when he'd come in. Before he could say a word, however, Professor McGonagall had swept him, Ron, and Hermione out the door and up the nearest staircase.

Since further objections weren't going to help in the slightest, Harry allowed himself to be led back to Gryffindor Tower. Students found dithering in the corridors were quickly motivated as McGonagall came marching through, calling for any straying Gryffindors and sending other House students on their way to their own dorms. By the time they had reached the seventh floor corridor, they had picked up a few lost first years, a group of fourth years and a pair of third year girls.

The Fat Lady watched them anxiously from her portrait while Violet, her friend from downstairs, whispered hurriedly in her ear.

'Password?'

'Swivenhodge.' said Professor McGonagall and the portrait swung open to admit them.

The whole of Gryffindor House had assembled in the common room, trying to find out if anyone knew what was going on. They fell silent as Professor McGonagall entered. Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped into the crowd, hiding away at the very back. Professor McGonagall started to explain the situation and give instructions but Harry hardly paid her any attention.

'I can't believe this,' he grumbled quietly to Ron and Hermione. 'You'd think they'd at least _consider_ letting us help, we're not useless.'

'They just don't want us getting hurt.' said Hermione. 'Besides, what could we do against an army?'

'What can _they_ do? They're powerful yeah, but severely lacking in numbers. A few dozen at most,' said Ron, shaking his head. 'They won't last long.'

'But Dumbledore did say we'd escape to London once they open a Floo portal.'

'He asked Allison to do it,' said Harry. 'She's-' He looked around just to make sure that no one was close enough to hear. 'She's a Death Eater. What makes you think she'll let us escape?'

'But there's not a lot we can do.' 

'And we can't just sit here,' he said angrily. 'As soon as McGonagall leaves, I'm going back out.'

'Harry, you heard what Dumbledore said,' whispered Hermione. 'The entrances will be sealed shut once everyone's inside. We won't be able to leave once she goes.'

'Can't we sneak out behind her?' said Ron.

With a sly grin Harry put his hand in his pocket, pulling out the Invisibility Cloak.

'There's no way all three of us can get out through portrait hole under that.' Hermione whispered. 'I'd better use a Chameleon Charm.'

'Sure you want to come?' asked Ron.

'There's no way you two are going to leave me here.' She sounded rather offended.  'If you're going, _I'm_ going.'

Making sure that no one was watching them; Harry and Ron slipped the Cloak over their heads. Hermione muttered a spell under her breath and flicked her wand. At once her outline blurred, her form shimmering then fading out of sight.

Carefully as possible, Harry and Ron made their way round the edge of the room, squeezing through the crowd; only just managing not to touch anyone.

'Once a Floo portal has been opened someone will come back to fetch you. First years will be escorted first, followed by the second years and so on,' Professor McGonagall was saying. 'We will make every effort to contact your families once everyone is safe. Until then, please wait quietly.'

The Gryffindors nodded and Professor McGonagall turned to leave.

Harry and Ron quickly checked that the Cloak was covering them completely, then sneaked up behind her. The portrait swung open and Professor McGonagall clambered out. Just as the portrait started to close Ron aimed his wand_._ The painting jammed.

Fast as they could, all three scrambled through, probably making more noise than was safe but it went unnoticed as the Gryffindors began to talk amongst themselves once more. The moment they were safely out of the way Ron reversed the spell and the Fat Lady's portrait closed over the entrance.

Professor McGonagall turned to the Fat Lady.

'My Lady, if you would lock the entrance please?'

The Fat Lady nodded and vanished from the frame, entering another painting further down the corridor.

'Once the portals are open-'

'Don't worry, Minerva,' insisted the Fat Lady. 'I'll be down on the second floor by Professor Vector's office when you need me.' And she hurried off down the corridor through the paintings there.

Professor McGonagall made her way down the nearest staircase and out of sight.

'Hermione,' Ron hissed. 'You still with us?'

'Yes,' came a disembodied voice beside them. 'Come on, follow her.'

The sound of hurried footsteps pattered off down the staircase after the professor.

Professor McGonagall headed straight back to the staff room. The rest of the faculty had arrived, Dumbledore having just finished explaining to them the situation. Harry, Ron, and Hermione dived in behind McGonagall, slipped past her and, keeping to the walls, edged round to the large stone fireplace behind Dumbledore. All the professors looked grim and nervous.

'Ah, Minerva,' Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. 'All the Gryffindors present and correct?'

'Yes, Albus. I've had the Fat Lady move to the second floor. She'll be by Sophie's office until we need her.'

'Good, that's all the dormitories sealed.'

'Albus,' McGonagall asked anxiously. 'What will we do if the Dark Lord arrives…'

'Well, hopefully we'll have all the students out before that happens-'

_BANG!_

Everyone jumped as Professor Torr came flying into the room in a panic.

'Albus!' she cried somewhat hysterically. 'I can't get through to the Ministry! Something's blocking it! I've tried several different fireplaces - not _one_ of them will connect with the Ministry!' 

The panic quickly spread to the rest of the staff.

'Now what do we do?' asked Professor Sprout turning to Dumbledore.

'The students must be evacuated!' Flitwick cried. 

'The Dark Lord could arrive any minute!'

'We can't hold out against an army, there just aren't enough of us.'

'What are we going to do?'

_'Silence!' _

Instantly, the staff fell silent. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

'As I've already said, there is no need to panic. It will not do us any good,' he said firmly. 'The students will be relativity safe for the time being.'

'But Albus,' piped up Professor Vector. 'We don't know how much time we have.'

'Which is why we need to work fast,' nodded Dumbledore. 'Even though the castle is very well protected I do have some doubt that it will be enough to hold back an army. We need to reinforce it and quickly.'

'Oh, oh!' Professor Torr raised her hand, waving it excitedly, not unlike when Hermione when she knew the answer to a difficult question. 'Professor, I think I know of a spell we could use to fortify the bulwarks of the castle.'

'I'm open to suggestions, Tia,' said Dumbledore. 'How does it work?'

Professor Torr smiled. 'Well, it involves combining the magical energy of several competent witches and wizards to project a powerful shield over a large area.

'Each of the participants has to contribute as much of their inner strength as possible. It involves a great deal of concentration and even though it _is_ rather tiring, the result is an almost impenetrable shield.' Professor Torr beamed. 'Quite formidable. I doubt that anything could break it down.'

'How many people would this require?' asked Professor Sinistra eagerly.

'The more, the better. But it does require someone to act as a medium, to channel the magic as a single unity, otherwise the magic will be without direction, spreading out all over the place and the barrier would be no where near as strong as could be. 

'I've done this sort of spell many times, so I think I'd better act as the medium.' She looked almost uncertainly at Dumbledore. 'That is, if you agree with our trying this, sir?'

The rest of the staff seemed very much in favour of her suggestion, eagerly voicing their approval.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione (still hiding by the fireplace, quiet as mice) were more than a little apprehensive however. Harry was getting very anxious. His scar was still hurting and the staff had no idea that there was a Death Eater among them, offering a solution that seemed too good to be true. He couldn't just reveal himself to expose her true identity. Who would believe him? More likely he'd end up in big trouble for sneaking out of the dormitory where he was supposed to be.

As the staff filed out, Harry spotted Professor Snape lurking in the shadows at the other end of the room. There was a cold calculating look in his eyes. He didn't seem any more thrilled with Professor Torr's suggestion than Harry was. His dark eyes followed Professor Torr as she left, explaining the spell in more detail to Professor Flitwick. 

Once everyone else had left, Snape approached the fireplace. He drew his wand and shot a fine cloud of dust into the flames. They turned emerald green but a smoky black haze flared within it. The colour faded, the fire returning to normal. Snape stood there for a moment longer; then stalked off after the others, closing the door behind him.

Hardly waiting for the footsteps to fade away, Harry pulled the Cloak off his head. Ron's appeared a moment later. 

'What did Snape just do?' asked Harry peering at the fireplace.

'Tried to open a Floo portal,' said Ron. 'Professor Torr was right. There _is_ something blocking it.'

'Didn't want to take her word for it or did he just not believe her? Because I'm ready to bet that she blocked it herself.'

'Yeah, probably.' Ron muttered darkly.

Hermione shimmered into existence beside them. 'I wonder if Snape knew?' 

'Knew what?' 

'About the attack. If Snape did go undercover as a Death Eater wouldn't he have known about it?'

'What makes you think he doesn't?'

'He would have told Dumbledore.'

'Look, we haven't got time for this,' said Harry. 'Our only defence has just left in the company of a Death Eater. Should we not be following them?'

Quickly they put the Invisibility Cloak back on; Hermione used her Chameleon Charm again and they hurried after the professors.

The staff had just passed out the oak front doors as Harry, Ron, and Hermione reached the staircase.

'What'll we do?' Hermione said. 'We can't just ask them not to do the spell.'

'No. But if Allison makes even one wrong move, hex her.' said Harry coldly, gripping his wand tightly. 

Reaching the front doors Ron slowly pulled them open. They slipped outside and eased the door shut behind them. It was getting late. The sky was mostly dark blue with a smear of yellow and red where the sun was sinking over the forest. A chill wind had sprung up. They huddled together on the front steps, wands at the ready.

Out on the lawn, the staff had positioned themselves in a large circle, Professor Torr at the centre, giving instructions. Harry strained to hear but she was just too far away to make out the words clearly.

She began to chant. Her voice carried on the wind, soft and hypnotic. The staff soon took up the chant, their voices merging, becoming louder, stronger. As the steady rhythm continued Harry became aware of a vague feeling of being watched. He looked to the darkened forest then up at the darkening sky. The shadows there appeared to flow into one another, devouring the remaining light, chasing it away. A cold shiver ran up his spine.

A flickering light caught his eye, drawing his attention back to the professors. A hazy ring of light had materialised, running through the circle from one professor to the next.

The chant changed slightly. Professor Torr's voice echoing slightly as she raised her hands, reaching out towards her colleagues. At once, glowing beams of light started to appear, swimming through the air in a dazzling rainbow of colour, all flowing from each of the professors to Torr. She swayed gently back and forth as the power surged around her. Raising her hands high over her head, the light rose with them in a skyward spiral, shining through the dark.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched in wonderment as the light began to glow even brighter. The colours swirled, constantly changing; white, green, yellow, purple, green, red, orange, green, gold, brown, silver then green again. The stunning shade of green illuminated the grounds, forest and castle, fading then darkening again and again. Harry suddenly noticed a dull throb. And it was coming from his scar, the pain steadily increasing.

'It's like a beacon,' whispered Hermione, still watching the light.

'That's exactly what it is!' Harry cried.

The sky, already dark with the approach of night, was overshadowed as a dark mass soared overhead like a storm cloud. A huge shadow fell across the grounds. The chanting faltered as heads turned to look. Only Professor Torr's voice remained constant. Eyes closed, she stood as still as a statue, her head tilted back and palms up to the sky, chanting louder than ever.

Then with a sudden primal scream, the light turned black. The staff swiftly backed away, thoroughly bewildered.

The dark light fell from the sky, surging into Professor Torr's body. She spun round, facing Dumbledore. She screamed a curse and from her hands came a powerful surge that shook the very foundations of the castle, slicing through the air and engulfing Dumbledore in an instant.

The unconscious form of their Headmaster fell to the ground.

Harry stared in horror. Hermione let out a strangled scream and Ron swore in alarm.

The remaining professors were frozen with shock. Not one of them moved.

A triumphant chorus of shouts and yells rang through the dark. A flock of winged horses, all of them ebony black, swooped down from the sky. Upon each of their backs rode a black-clad figure. Hoods low over their faces and their cloaks billowing out behind them, the Death Eaters drew their wands.

This seemed to break through the professors' initial shock. Snape whipped out his wand.

_'Stupefy!'_

One Death Eater cried out as his horse suddenly went limp beneath him, plummeting to the ground.

Professors Sinistra and Vector shouted _'Expelliarmus!'_ causing two more horses to buck their riders off. But it was hopeless. There were far too many of them.

'Run!' McGonagall shouted as she cast a Freezing Charm on Death Eater before it could hurl a hex at her.

They didn't need telling twice. The staff turned and bolted. Another twenty or so Death Eaters jeered, deliberately flying low over their heads. A few landed, running the horses past them and circling round, firing hexes at the staff causing them to falter.

Professor Sprout rushed at them and cried, _'Terra aperio!' _and the ground beneath the Death Eaters shook, cracking open. One horse reared in a panic - with a startled yell its rider fell headfirst into the pit. His cry was cut short as the earth closed over him.

Snape flung another hex at a Death Eater, turning him into a living torch as his robes went up in flames. Flitwick sent three more reeling with a cloud of vile smelling poison that shot into their faces. McGonagall spun round, transfiguring one into a mouse and another into a newt.

But they just kept coming.

Harry was more than ready to run down there to try and help them but the pain in his head was mounting. He staggered, falling against Ron who quickly grabbed him.

'Harry?'

'My - my scar…' Harry said, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Hermione let out a terrified scream as something huge - something monstrous - came hurtling down out of the sky.

The lightning scar exploded with pain and Harry fell to his knees. Struggling to see clearly, Harry could only just make out the immense silhouette of a - dragon? No, wait - not a dragon. It was too slender for a dragon and its head was more like that of a snake. A giant snake. But the wings were certainly recognisable as a dragon's.

But what really held Harry's attention was the tall, skeletal man that rode the monstrous reptile. His livid scarlet eyes shining like freshly spilt blood against the bone-white of his face.

Ron and Hermione were frozen with fear. Neither of them moved a muscle. The fear seemed to have paralysed the staff at that moment as well. They could do little more than stare, frozen with terror as the Dark Lord guided his mount down. The winged reptile had no legs like a dragon. Instead it slithered out of the air and onto the ground, gliding with liquid grace through the grass. The wings receded into the serpent's body, absorbing them like water.

The Death Eaters encircled the professors; some on the ground while others circled like vultures overhead.

Voldemort's lipless mouth twisted into a cruel smile. His snake-like eyes taking in the cowering professors' fearful expressions with great satisfaction.

'Well,' he hissed coolly. 'Is this the best that you can do?' He laughed. 'It's rather disappointing to be honest. Surely Hogwarts' finest would have put up more of a fight than _that_?' 

The snake's head lowered, its forked tongue tasting the air, tasting their fear.

'As for your 'leader',' he sneered, looking over his shoulder to where the still form of Albus Dumbledore lay. 'I _do_ hope he isn't dead. It would be such a shame to deny him a painful death. Avery.'

Immediately, one Death Eater pulled his horse out of the circle, quickly galloping over to the Headmaster. Swinging off the horse, Avery knelt beside him, looking for any sign of life. A few moments later he straightened up.

'My Lord,' he called. 'He is still alive.'

It was difficult to tell whether Voldemort was actually pleased about this.

'Bring him.'

Avery bowed then levitated Dumbledore's limp form onto the horse's back.

Voldemort turned back to face his prisoners. His cold eyes fixed on Snape.

'Severus,' he muttered. 'I cannot express the depths of my disappointment. What possessed you ally yourself with such fools … you do know the price of such treachery, I'm sure.'

Snape glared defiantly up the Dark Lord.

'Quite a surprise,' Voldemort said thoughtfully. 'If I didn't know better, I would have said that you'd taken leave of your senses.'

'I could say the same of you,' said Snape, causing some of the Death Eaters to utter audible gasps. No one _ever_ answered back to their master. No one who _lived_ anyway. 'Attacking a school with full force after months of inactivity? Not at all your usual method.'

Voldemort smiled, almost amused.

'Ah, yes, a little unorthodox perhaps, yet look how easy it was.' He waved a spider-like hand carelessly. 'Why be predictable when the unexpected gets far more successful results?'

'Would the Ministry not have been a more suitable target?' Snape asked. If he was scared he was doing a good job of hiding it.

'Not particularly,' said Voldemort lazily. 'Less potential.' That lipless smile was back. 'So many … so much power yet to be harnessed … and so young … young enough to be easily integrated into the ranks of the Dark Order, to learn under the correct guidance. Just imagine … several hundred young witches and wizards all willing to serve a single master … no matter if the task would cost them their lives or those of family or even friends.' He laughed sadistically.

Professor McGonagall's rage must have out weighed her fear because she suddenly broke her silence.

'You really think that you can just waltz in here and expect over five hundred students to simply turn themselves over to you?' she shrieked, eyes blazing.

Voldemort regarded her coldly. Slowly, he stepped down from the serpent's back. The professors drew back slightly but McGonagall held her ground. The Dark Lord stepped right up to her. She didn't move.

'No,' he whispered, still smiling. 'I don't expect it from all of them. But given that their only other choice will be to die … slowly … painfully … I doubt that it will take them long to decide where their loyalties lie.' 

He slowly drew back and turned to the Death Eaters. 

'Secure the castle.' he ordered. 'Any student you find, bring to me. If they resist, kill them.' He paused for a moment to enjoy the look of horror on the professors' faces. 'Take these prisoners down to the dungeons, I will deal with them later.'

At once a swarm of Death Eaters advanced on the castle and in their wake; _Dementors._

Ron and Hermione pulled Harry to his feet.

'Come on! Hurry!'

Ron yanked the door open, dashing inside, pulling Harry with him. Hermione slammed the doors shut and attempted a complex locking spell just as the first Death Eater tried to push it open. 

'Hermione, hurry up!' Ron cried as he raced up the stairs, practically dragging Harry along.

Hermione waved her wand sending sticky webbing over the doors, gluing them firmly in place. She spun on her heel and scrambled up the stairs after the boys. 

'That won't last long! Quick!'

'Where do we go? They'll have this place surrounded!'

'Back to the Tower! _Run!'_

No sooner had they reached the second floor that the front doors were blasted open. The Death Eaters drew back as their Master stepped over the threshold.

He looked around with a satisfied smile.

'Now, then,' he whispered. 'Let us begin.'

*

** To be continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated_**

*

**Authors Notes**

*stares wide-eyed at review page*  Oh WOW!  That's the most number of reviews I've _ever _had in one go!!  That's amazing!  *sits with a very happy grin on her face for hours on end*  My hectic week doesn't seem quite so bad now!  Thanks to every one of you lovely people!  ^_^

**Lil Lupin – **Ah yes, 'The Emperor', our favourite character … _not!_  How's chapter 13 looking?  I did attach it to the e-mail, didn't I?

**Elbereth94 – **Visions have good timing like that.  ^_^  *gasps in horror*  Nnoooo!  _Don't read the original! _Please!  Now that I've looked back on it, I think it looks a complete and total mess!  The ending doesn't quite make sense – hence the re-post.  Repeat after me; 'I will resist the temptation … I will resist the temptation … I will resist the temptation.'  ^_^****

**Bmw – **Thank you so much!  I see you read The Greatest Gift and Rise, thanks for reviewing them too!   You liked my attempts at poetry in Gift did you?  For a first attempt I guess it wasn't too bad.  Ah, Sirius and Remus are tied in first place as my favourite characters.  Sirius is the main character in my next fic, which is currently nameless and seven chapters short of completion, so for obvious reasons it won't be posted for a while yet.  But if you're interested I could send an e-mail to you when it starts going up?  Hope to see you around!****

**Werepup – **Thank you! ^_^  I like that comment; 'wicked ass story', very cool!****

**Orenji Yosei – **Ooh, another Tarot reader!  Hi there! *waves and joins in the Leprechaun dance*  The Dragon Tarot deck is gorgeous, isn't it?  I loved it so much on sight; I just had to buy one!  (Unfortunately I had to order one and it took _months_ to arrive!  Ggrrhh)****

**Melissa Lupin – **Thanks for reading!  Hope you liked the chapter!****

**Summer thyme –** Okay, slight case of confusion here I think.  I never said that Parvati was the one with strawberry-blond hair; the girl on the front cover of Parvati's _magazine _is the one with the blond hair.  Glad you like the fic so far.  And thanks for letting me know, although I was already aware ^_^ ; Parvati means 'lotus' doesn't it?  Or maybe that's Padma – I read it somewhere but can't remember it exactly.****

**Jajaj – ***blinks a few times*  Ooookay.  It looks like sort of like English  (It's English Jim, but not as we know it.  ^_^  ) … Thank you for reading. ****

**Storyweaver – **Hey, if you're interested I have actually written a sequel to this already.  Tell No Lies is a re-post but after I finished the original I went ahead and wrote another one; 'Take It Back'.  You may like to wait until this one is done though, the early chapters of Take It Back might spoil the ending of this one.  

I am giving some serious thought to giving Harry a love interest but I'm afraid it probably won't be Ginny or Cho.  I am planning on writing a third fic in this 'series' but it'll be a while before it gets beyond the planning stage, I'm a bit busy writing a Sirius fic at the moment.****

**Evol norgara – **Clever cloak isn't it?  ^_^  Wish I had a cloak.  Wait a second, I _do_ own a cloak!  Okay, it doesn't make me invisible but it's very cool.  It's black with a deep hood so I end up looking like a Death Eater, ^_^  Hhm, think I should wear it when the next book comes out?  Hey, Order of the Phoenix is only three months away!  *cheers delightedly*  Can't wait!****

**Christy – **I love the Divination lessons.  I think when I write my next fic in this series, covering Harry's sixth year, I'll include more of them.  I won't be able to use Tarot cards this time, so maybe premonitions and visions?  Still plotting the fic out, so no definite plans yet.  ^_^   Yeah, Sirius trusts Harry's scar visions, especially since it's a great alarm bell for Voldemort's activities. 

Cliffhangers are only evil if you stop the story.  Cliffhangers are only evil if you stop the story.  You keep telling yourself that!****

**Von – **Sorry, had to cut off the confrontation there … Voldemort; _so _inconsiderate isn't he?  ^_^

**Evil spapple pie – **How did Harry know?  Well, first off, burning scar – not good!  Tends to mean Voldemort's up to no good.  ^_^  Plus, Harry could see that the Dark Lord had Hogwarts 'in his sights' almost literally, plus the army marching out of Azkaban … was it not clear enough? ^_~****

**Okeanos – **Getting exciting huh?  Thanks.  Enjoy the chapter!****

**Corrie – **I can't go any faster than two chapters a week, I'm afraid.  ^_^  Glad you love it!****

**Anonymous – **Thanks for reading!

**MorganD **– Hi again!  Not much changed on the reading, just one or two cards and re-wording was all the chapter needed to be honest.  I've only ever used cards that have 'reversed' meanings; might be interesting to have a deck that has one particular meaning regardless of which way it comes up.

I did wonder which would sound better, 'Mr Potter' or 'Harry', but I picked just Harry because I thought it might have sounded a bit odd having McGonagall refer to him that way to Ron and Hermione.  But I guess it would have sounded a bit odd whichever way I went, and I just flipped a coin!  ^_^

Harry's vision is unfortunately slightly different to canon.  I didn't really want to stray from canon on any aspect of the characters but I needed a bit of leeway on this one.  I couldn't figure out how I could have had the fic flowing smoothly if I kept it to Harry just seeing what was happening at that precise moment.  Plus it seemed a bit more dramatic, but that was just an added benefit of trying something a little different.  

Now that I've given it some thought however, I may be able to expand on Harry's visions in my next fic for this series.  The third fic hasn't got any further than several pages of scribbled notes and ideas but premonitions and visions are more than likely going to be the focus of the Divination lessons, so I might try to find more of an explanation for Harry's visions, canon and non-canon related.  ****


	22. Where You Stand

**Chapter Twenty-two; Where You Stand**

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went tearing up the stairs to the third floor so fast that they almost collapsed on the landing. Ron was gasping for breath and Hermione was clutching a stitch in her side but they didn't dare slow down. Harry's scar was still quite painful but at least he was now running under his own steam, leading the others up through the castle.

The corridors were deserted. The paintings on the walls were devoid of their usual subjects and the castle was eerily quiet but for their echoing footsteps as they hurtled down the Charms corridor.

Ron slowed to a jog then stopped, breathing in short, ragged pants, bent almost double.

'Ron-' Hermione slowed down, looking over her shoulder. 'Come on! Keep going!'

'I - I can't…' Ron slumped against the wall.

Hermione and Harry raced back to help him. They'd only just reached him when a shadow flickered in the torchlight up the nearest stairwell.

'Quick!' Hermione hissed, grabbing Ron and pulling him into the nearest classroom.

Harry followed, ducking inside and quickly easing the door shut behind him. There was a soft click. Almost immediately they heard someone step into the passageway, footsteps slowly moving towards them.

Harry slowly knelt to peer through the keyhole. His throat went dry as a tall, black hooded figure strode past. The footsteps receded down the passage … then stopped.

Harry waited a few moments then reached for the door handle. Gripping it firmly, he gently eased the door open a few inches to risk a quick peek down the corridor, and then shut it again.

Ron was slumped over the teacher's desk, trying hard to regulate his breathing. Hermione stood beside him, rubbing her side and watching Harry anxiously. 

'Is he gone?' she whispered.

Harry shook his head.

'He's standing at the end of the corridor - right by the staircase.'

Hermione's eyes widened.

'Can't we sneak past him somehow?'

More footsteps could be heard outside. Harry looked through the keyhole to see another two Death Eaters walk past.

'They'll be all over the school soon,' Ron hissed.

'How on earth are we going to get back to Gryffindor Tower?' said Hermione, a little louder than she intended.

Harry quickly raised a warning finger to his lips.

Footsteps were coming back towards them.

Quickly as he could, Harry headed to the back of the classroom, beckoning for Ron and Hermione to follow.

Struggling to recall the hidden passages on the Marauders Map Harry ran his hands over the back wall, praying that they were in the right room.

His left hand brushed over a loose brick. Giving it a push, the brick slid into the wall. Harry slipped his hand inside the little alcove just as someone came to a halt right outside the door.

'Harry, hurry!' Hermione whispered.

Fumbling blindly, Harry managed to grab hold of a small lever. He gave it a sharp tug. The brick wall split down the middle, sliding apart to reveal a narrow spiral staircase. Hermione, Ron and Harry threw themselves through the gap and up onto the stairs. The wall slid shut behind them just as the classroom door was blasted off its hinges.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione froze, listening through the wall, hardly daring to breathe for fear of betraying their hiding place.

For what felt like at least a quarter of an hour (but in reality was no more than five minutes), the Death Eater could be heard searching the classroom; blasting the store-cupboard apart and sending the desks crashing across the room before announcing that the room was clear. The door slammed shut and the three teenagers resumed breathing.

Without a word they started to climb the stairs. For ten minutes they climbed in silence, pausing whenever muffled voices sounded on the other side of the wall.

Harry's heart was sinking fast. The Death Eaters were moving swiftly up through the castle. Harry was hoping against hope that no other student had sneaked out of their dormitory. He wouldn't put it past the Death Eaters to murder the first student they found as an example to the rest.

They'd reached the top of the stairs, finding themselves in a very short passage. Harry pressed his ear to the wall, listening carefully. Hearing nothing, Harry tapped the wall with his wand; once at the base and twice in the centre. The hidden door swung open onto the seventh floor corridor.

Ron leaned out, looking up and down the passage.

'It's clear,' he whispered, stepping out.

Running on tiptoe they raced towards the entrance to Gryffindor Tower when Hermione came to a sudden halt. 

'Wait! The Fat Lady!'

Ron did a bit of creative swearing, recalling that the Fat Lady was currently several floors below them and no use to them whatsoever.

Thinking fast, Harry turned and ran back down the corridor to where a number of coats of armour stood. Before either of them could stop him, Harry reached up and plunged his hand into the flames of a nearby torch.

Ron and Hermione yelped in shock but Harry didn't seem to be in any pain. The torch flame crackled, burning a brilliant blue, and Harry aimed his wand at the nearest suit of armour. Clanking loudly, it stepped away from the wall as an archway materialised. Beyond it lay a dark and narrow passage. Harry looked over his shoulder, grinning at the stunned faces of Ron and Hermione.

'Emergency Marauder gateway,' he said. 'Come on.'

They entered the passage, the archway closing behind them leaving them in darkness. They drew out their wands and lit them. The passage appeared to run parallel with the corridor that led back to the Tower. When they reached roughly where the Fat Lady's portrait hung, the passage twisted, taking them in a wide arc. Through the wall Harry could hear a low rumble of voices. They'd reached the common room.

Hermione gave a sigh of relief but Ron just looked grim.

'Okay, we're here. Now what do we do?'

Harry didn't say anything as he pushed open a sliding panel, stepping out from under the boy's staircase.

The rest of Gryffindor House was still lounging around the room, chatting away happily; blissfully unaware of the danger they were in.

Fred and George detached themselves from the crowd, hurrying over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

'There you are!' said Fred, looking thoroughly relieved. 'Where did you guys disappear off to?'

Harry opened his mouth to speak but at that very moment another voice rang out; a voice that made Harry's blood run cold.

_'Attention students of Hogwarts,' _said the cold, deadly voice. _'I want all of you to listen to me very carefully.' _  The entire common room fell silent. _'Hogwarts Castle is now completely under my control. Your professors are - shall we say - indisposed?'_

The Gryffindors looked fearfully at each other, frightened whispers and mutterings filled the room.

_'I would advise against any notion of impetuous acts of heroism,' _the Dark Lord went on, _'It will not put you in good favour with any of my loyal Death Eaters. They do not take kindly to impertinence and nor do I. _

_No one needs to be hurt of course,' _Voldemort continued softly. _'I have no intention of harming any of you, none at all.'_

Most of the students looked far from convinced while others just listened more closely, fearfully.

_'I have a proposition, one that I will offer only once,' _he hissed._ 'So make your decision wisely. Your options stand thus; you can accept the inevitable and join the ranks of the Dark Order … or you can refuse and die.'_

He paused to allow this statement to sink in.

_'Those of you that take the first option, and I strongly advise that you do, will be granted more power than you've dreamed possible … your potential and ability given the recognition it deserves … the guidance to develop it … all you have to do is to step outside your dormitory and renounce your association with Albus Dumbledore and willingly embrace the Dark._

_'I trust it won't take long for you all to decide,' a_ cruel laugh echoed through the school. _'But you may take all the time you need … I'm in no hurry.'_

A grim silence fell. No one said a word. They sat frozen with fear and indecision. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George stood together in numb disbelief. Harry's mind had gone blank. Now what were they going to do?

A tall sixth year boy with spiky brown hair slowly rose from his seat, and grabbed his cloak and wand.

'Craig?' the girl next to him said, her eyes wide and fearful. 'W-where are you going?'

'Where do you think I'm going?' the boy said, glaring at the girl as though she'd offended him. 'I'm going out there.'

'You can't,' said Harry firmly.

Craig turned round to glare at Harry, his cold eyes looking Harry over, sweeping up to his forehead and the lightning scar.

'You can't go and hand yourself over to him.' said Harry.

Craig snorted. 'You're crazy if you think I'm gonna hang around in here and wait for them to come and kill me. I don't want to die, Potter. If I have to go out there willingly to be able to live then, that's what I'm gonna do.' He turned to address the rest of the Gryffindors. 'Anyone else interested in staying alive?' 

'You honestly believe that just because you'll live it's the right thing to do? You would willingly become a Death Eater to save your own skin?' Harry's voice shook with disgust.

'The alternative is to die, Potter,' said Craig coldly.

'So you're giving in without a fight?'

Craig just stared stonily at him. Harry shook his head.

'Forget it. It's your choice,' he said bitterly and turned to the rest of the Gryffindors. 'Look, I know we don't have a chance of fighting them and coming out alive … I'm not asking you to fight … I'm asking you to stay here, while I try and get a message to the Ministry. They don't have a clue what's happened and we need help fast. There's no need to risk more people than necessary so I'm going alone -'

Ron stepped forward, looking outraged.

'Harry, if you go back out there, they'll kill you!'

Harry tried to avoid Ron's eyes. 'Yeah, I know. But I can't just sit here twiddling my thumbs and wait for them to find me. At least if I try to get some help…' he trailed off, conscious of everyone in the common room watching him.

'I'm coming with you,' said Ron firmly.

'What? No, it'll be safer if you stay here.'

'For how long?' said Hermione. 'The Death Eaters will find the entrances and force them open if we wait too long. Why sit here when we could be doing something to help?'

'But if you get hurt -'

'It's our choice, Harry,' said Ron. 'We're coming with you.'

Harry stared at them both for a moment, trying unsuccessfully to hide a grateful smile that was threatening to take over his face.

'Me too,' said another voice. 'I want to help.'

Neville Longbottom had stood up, obviously acting a lot braver than he felt. He gave Craig a fierce look. 'What kind of Gryffindor would I be if I took the cowards' way out?'

Craig's nostrils flared. He looked likely to hex Neville but he merely stood there, glaring, as Neville crossed the silent room to stand beside Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Ginny Weasley got up. Her friends stared at her as if she were crazy, moving aside as she detached herself from the group, walked boldly across the room to stand with the others, looking nervous but determined. Ron smiled broadly at his little sister, half proud, half scared for her safety, but it was her choice, not his - certainly not an easy one to make.

One by one, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell and two other seventh years, Luke and Phoebe, came over to join them.

Fred and George both stood to attention and saluted Harry. 'Ready whenever you are!' they said, grinning broadly.

The remaining Gryffindors, however, stayed where they were. Most seemed to think that Harry and the others had lost their marbles; others appeared undecided. Craig gave the group a haughty sniff, folding his arms.

'You're seriously going out there? You'll all be dead in an instant if you're seen with Potter, you do realise that don't you? I hope you can live with that on your conscience Potter; not that you're likely to live much longer than they are. He's here because of you, you know.'

He continued to watch Harry closely, waiting for an irate response. But it was not forthcoming. When Harry spoke, it was with a calm and composed manner, though not without the underlying tone of disgust.

'If you want to take a chance with the Death Eaters then go ahead, it's your decision, not mine. But I'm not the only reason that Voldemort is here.' Craig flinched at the name. 'He's here for all of us. _All_ of you. By surrendering you're just giving him what he wants. You should know that he shows the same amount of mercy to his followers as his enemies, so you're hardly any better off. Whether you like it or not, you'll be forced to commit murder … even if it's your friends and family.' Harry held Craig's gaze. 'Could you live with that?' he asked softly.

A tense silence fell.

Craig broke his eye contact with Harry, glaring furiously around at the other Gryffindors as though hoping for some support. He got none.

With a grim smile Harry silently turned from the room, heading back to the hidden passage, closely followed by Ron and Hermione, the rest of the group right behind them.

As soon as they had disappeared, Craig resumed his seditious attitude.

'They won't last five minutes out there,' he sneered. 'You just wait.'

*

**To be continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

*****

**Authors Notes**

**Elbereth94 –  **^_^ Yeah, I know what you mean!

**Lil Lupin – **Chapter 14 of the SF is coming along slowly.  *sigh*  I want to get to chapter 17!  That one will be fun to write.  ^_^  Still a way off though.  *gets back to work on chapter 14* I will get this done for the weekend; I've set myself a deadline!  *scribbles furiously*****

**Melissa Lupin – ***evil cackle*  'Oh no!' just about sums it up!****

**Von – **You're a hard one to please, aren't you?  You really think he was _that_ out of character?  Okay, I'll admit he didn't do very much but I didn't think it was that bad.  The scar pain does get a little more bearable, after all, didn't he manage to duel with the Dark Lord near the end of Goblet of Fire?  It's not a total hindrance.

**Christy – **Are they going to get rid of him?  Hhm, *plucks petals off a daisy* They get rid of him … they don't get rid of him … they get rid of him … they don't get rid of him … ^_^

As you can see, I have organised a minor resistance group.  I know there aren't very many of them so before you ask, let me explain.  First, my original idea for the fic _did_ have a much larger group of Gryffindors, plus some students from other Houses, but when I actually came to write this part I just found it so difficult to keep track of everyone.  I had far too many and they were extremely uncooperative.  ^_^  Hence my use of a smaller number, it works out better this way.  So, convenience was one reason, the other reason being I though it highly unlikely that _everyone_ would want to join Harry.  They're kids, they're scared and, like you said in your review, would prefer to wait for a rescue party.  Still, there are some brave characters here; Go Gryffindor!  *Voltora waves her flag*****

**Angl – **Thank you!

**Werepup – **Glad you think so!  Thanks!****

**Dragon-gurl – **LOL.  'Yikeydoodle'?  Never heard that before.  Made me laugh! ^_^****

**Evol norgara – ***cowers at evol's 'bad guy' cackle* Okay, you are starting to scare me.  ^_^ I've ordered a copy already, too.  Don't know if I'd go and stay over at bookshop waiting for it.  Might be fun though!  *Pulls on her 'Death Eater' cloak again* Think this might scare the little kids?  *Practises her evil cackle*  You're making Voldie a strawberry cake?  I always thought he was more of a fruitcake kind of person.  ^_^****

**Evil spapple pie – **Going downhill on wheels, to be quite frank! ^_^  Will Evil Freak Lady be killed off? Ooh, the temptation!  I did ponder several different endings to the fic, some of which included EFL being killed off, some didn't, and in the end I decided on … What?  You think I'm going to give away the ending??  Dream on!  ^_^

**Bmw - ** Thank you!  Glad you like it!


	23. Allies and Enemies

**Chapter Twenty-three; Allies and Enemies**

Harry led the Gryffindors into the narrow passage, holding his glowing wand out in front of him. Ron followed at his heels with Ginny and Neville right behind him. Luke and the twins came next, followed by Katie and Alicia with Hermione and Phoebe bringing up the rear.

Harry felt a little thrown by their decision to come along. He certainly hadn't asked them to, yet here they were, included two he barely knew, apart from sharing a house with them. Luke looked pale but, seeing Harry looking back at him, gave an encouraging smile. Phoebe was hurriedly tying her long blonde hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of the way, Hermione whispering to her, suggesting spells and incantations that might come in useful. Phoebe was listening raptly and suggesting a few spells of her own, comparing notes on appropriate duelling spells.

_Let's hope we don't have to use them_ Harry thought grimly. _If we can just hold out until help arrives, no one will have to risk getting hurt._

They'd reached the end of the passage. Harry reached out to open the wall but suddenly jerked his hand back as though it had burned him. Ron grabbed his shoulder from behind.

'Harry, what-'

'Shh!'

Raising his hand for quiet, Harry inclined his head to the wall, straining to hear. There was silence. Slowly, he pressed his hand to the wall. With a gentle push it slid silently over. He could see a small section of the corridor. It looked empty … no - wait … there _was_ someone coming.

Two black cloaked and hooded figures walked passed, heading swiftly to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry held his breath, leaning forward slightly. One of them suddenly looked back over his shoulder and Harry quickly drew back, his heart jumping up into his throat. Had the Death Eater sensed that someone was watching? Had he seen him?

A few nerve-racking seconds passed … Harry slowly edged forward, peering down the corridor, half-expecting the Death Eaters to pounce on him the moment he looked. When nothing grabbed him, Harry thanked each and every one of his lucky stars for not making a complete mess of this self appointed mission before it had even started. 

The Death Eaters had stopped in front of the Fat Lady's empty portrait and were conversing in low voices; one gesturing to the empty frame, the other shaking his head.

The first raised his wand, casting a shimmering red haze over the portrait. It glowed briefly then faded rapidly. If it was supposed to open the entrance Harry was surprised that the Death Eater didn't try it again. The second Death Eater murmured something dismissive like he hadn't expected the spell work anyway. He then grabbed his companion's arm, whispering urgently and gesturing back up the passage. Together they turned from the portrait and hurried back towards where Harry and the others were hidden.

Harry twisted round. The group looked anxious and pale.

'Two Death Eaters,' Harry whispered. 'They're coming this way. As soon as they're within range we hit them with Stunning Spells, okay?'

The group nodded and drew their wands. There wasn't a lot of room in the narrow passage so Ginny and Neville knelt on the floor to allow George and Luke a clear shot over their heads. Harry and Ron flattened themselves up against the wall, pointing their wands sideways at the narrow opening.

The low voices had become audible.

' - think we can still get through that way?'

'It'll be a bit of a squeeze but I doubt anyone else knows where it is.'

'Can _you _even remember where it is?'

Harry frowned, glancing over at Ron who looked back, brow furrowed in confusion. Where they just so scared that their brains were playing tricks or was that -

The wall suddenly moved - several voices cried _'Stupefy!'_ - blasts of red light shot through the archway - the cloaked figure standing there quickly flung himself out of the way as Harry shouted 'No! Stop! Don't shoot!'

To his immense surprise the Gryffindors instantly obeyed but they kept their wands trained on the opening.

A startled and very familiar voice exclaimed, 'What the _hell_ was that? Padfoot, you hurt?'

'Yeah,' came the breathless response. 'But it's just my dignity, nothing to worry about.'

'Who's there?' demanded the other man, directing his question to those within the hidden passage.

It took every ounce of self-control for Harry to reframe from leaping joyfully out into the corridor. 'It's me, Harry!'

A black-cloaked figure slowly appeared in the doorway. Harry quickly turned to the Gryffindors hastily gesturing for them to lower their wands. 'It's okay! He's a friend.'

Cautiously, the man reached up and drew back his hood.

_'Professor Lupin?'_ Katie almost dropped her wand. 

'Hello everyone,' said Remus calmly. 'I trust you're aren't simply sneaking out of your dorms just for the fun of it?'

'Hell no!' said Luke, pushing his way forward. 'We thought you were a Death Eater … or are you?' Nervously, Luke raised his wand again but Remus simply smiled.

'I can assure you, I am not a Death Eater.'

'Then what's with the robes?' Luke inquired suspiciously.

'What better way to sneak around a castle that's full of them?'

Luke, Phoebe, Katie and Alicia still looked a little uneasy but Neville immediately lowered his wand. Harry looked to the second cloaked figure who had just appeared behind Remus, and even though the deep hood obscured the man's face, Harry could tell that he did not feel that this was the time for explanations or introductions.

'Speaking of Death Eaters, may I remind you all that we _are_ in a castle full of them? They probably heard you down in the dungeons. I think we'd better get out of here before someone comes looking.'

Without hesitation Harry, Ron, and Hermione emerged from the passage and hurried after Remus. The rest of the Gryffindors nervously eyed Remus' companion but quickly followed, the passage closing behind them. Remus led them down several deserted corridors and into a disused storeroom. Working quickly, he locked them inside, cast a number of Silencing Charms over the room, and lit the torches before turning to the group.

'Is everyone all right? Anyone hurt?'

'No, we're fine,' said Harry. 'Remus, how did you -'

A chorus of startled screams suddenly rang out; Katie, Alicia and Phoebe recoiled from the group, wands pointing straight at Sirius who had just lowered his hood. Luke and Neville fumbled for their own wands, Luke stepping in front of the girls and commanding 'D-don't move!' 

Sirius raised an eyebrow, looking rather amused.

'Pretty gutsy, even for a Gryffindor,' he said, chuckling. 

'Luke, everyone, will you please put your wands down.' Remus spoke calmly, moving slowly to stand just in front of Sirius, facing the wands.

No one did as he asked. All of them were staring wide-eyed and scared at the infamous Azkaban escapee.

Harry rolled his eyes, strode over to Sirius and gave him a hug. Sirius, a little surprised, returned the hug.  The Gryffindors' mouths fell open in unison. Harry grinned at their stunned faces. 'Everyone, I'd like you to meet Sirius; my godfather. He isn't a murderer and he's _not_ going to hurt you.'

Alicia and Katie exchanged a look, lowering their wands only slightly.

The Weasleys quickly jumped to Sirius' defence.

'He's innocent -'

'It wasn't him that killed all those Muggles -'

'He was framed!'

Sirius detached himself from Harry and stepped over to the group. They didn't recoil. _Point for them, _he thought with a smile.

'Look, if I were going to hurt anyone here wouldn't I have done it by now? Okay, I don't expect you to believe that I'm innocent, God knows I don't have any proof, but I _am_ here to help.'

They didn't look entirely convinced but since the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry weren't in the least bit perturbed by a convicted murderer's presence, they seemed to reach a silent agreement to accept his words on faith. Neville tucked his wand into his belt and stepped forward. 

'Well, since Harry seems to trust you, I guess I can too,' he said, offering a hand to Sirius, which he shook.

'Hang on,' said Katie. 'How did you two even get inside? The place is crawling with Death Eaters.'

'Good question. We arrived just as the Dark Lord came out of hiding and attacked the castle. Remus and I sneaked up behind the Death Eaters waiting to enter the grounds, stunned two of them, pinched their cloaks and masks, and came in with the rest of them.'

'The faculty have been imprisoned in the lower dungeons,' said Remus. 'From what we could gather they've been put into an enchanted sleep with at least a dozen Death Eaters keeping an eye on them. Other than that they appear to have been unharmed. I doubt they're the Dark Lord's priority so they should be relatively safe, for a while at least.'

'We came up here hoping to get into Gryffindor Tower but the Fat Lady's pulled a disappearing act, so Remus suggested we use the secret passage and I nearly got hexed into next week bumping into you lot.' Sirius grinned to show he wasn't mad at them, much to the group's relief. 

'What were you all doing lurking in that passage anyway?' asked Remus.

'Err, we _were _going to try and find some way of getting a message to the Ministry but we weren't sure of how we were going to do that. Unless you've got a better idea?' said Harry hopefully.

'No. Alerting the Ministry is probably the only thing we _can_ do right now, but that requires opening the Floo channels and the only place we can do that is Dumbledore's office.'

'But the entrance is on the second floor and we don't have the password,' said Hermione.

'We'd need to get there first,' said Alicia. 'How are we going to manage that? Sneaking down several floors full of Death Eaters hardly falls into the 'Easy Plan of Action' category does it?'

'No, but it is necessary, though certainly not impossible.' Remus looked to Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley brothers. 'I trust each of you can recall the contents of a particular map to a certain degree?'

'Yeah, but there aren't any passages that'll take us down to the second floor from here.'

'True, but our ability to move about the castle undetected will undoubtedly give us an edge. We can't leap out there, wands at the ready and fight our way down. There are far too many Death Eaters to take on and defeat in one-on-one combat. I'd say that stealth is our weapon in this game.'

'So what you're saying Moony, is that we need to even up the odds?' Sirius asked with a trace of mischief kindling in his eyes.

'Exactly. Not only will it reduce the odds of our getting caught, it will give the Ministry the best possible chance of getting through and helping us. Now we don't need to kill anyone, just put them out of action. Is everyone here familiar with Disarming, Stunning, and Paralysis Spells?'

*

'What was that?'

Alan Yewstray turned to his young partner, Ray Gradstone, with an exasperated sigh. This young Death Eater was proving to be nothing more than an annoyance and a pain in the neck to train. Yewstray had risen quickly up into the senior ranks of the Dark Order and felt cheated when the task of training a new recruit had fallen to him. Patience was not something he was overly familiar with.

'What?' he snapped.

'That noise, didn't you hear it?' Gradstone looked up at the ceiling. 'I think it came from upstairs. Sure you didn't hear anything?'

Yewstray glared at the boy. 'Yeah, now that you mention it, I did. Sounded like an irritating little brat who doesn't understand what 'be quiet and follow your superior's orders' means.'

The teenager looked only slightly abashed. Nervously he pointed upstairs. 'Shouldn't we go look?' he asked. 'Might be someone up there.'

'Fine, get out of my sight.' Yewstray snarled, his patience reaching the end of its very short tether. 'Report back in ten minutes.'

'Yes Sir!' 

Yewstray grimaced. Gradstone was barely nineteen yet he had all the annoying enthusiasm of a five-year-old in a toyshop. He eagerly went up the nearest staircase to the seventh floor, wand held up in front of him. Idiotic kid. He didn't have a clue. His eagerness was sure to get him caught if he were ever sent out on his own. No wonder he had needed an experienced Death Eater to baby-sit him. Too bad Yewstray had drawn the short straw. Yewstray resumed his patrol, marching up and down the sixth floor, glad of a few minutes peace and a cigarette.

*

Stepping onto the seventh floor, Gradstone brandished his wand, pointing it at every door and in all directions, hoping to catch an unwary student off guard. He felt extremely disappointed that the passage was empty. Certain that he _had _heard something, Gradstone flattened himself against the wall and edged down the corridor, ready to hex the first person he saw.

Gradstone had graduated from Hogwarts only a year ago but his memory of the castles ever-shifting layout completely failed him. He had a vague idea that the Gryffindor dormitories were around here somewhere … or was he thinking of Ravenclaw Tower? Damn it. Being a Hufflepuff, Gradstone had never known for certain. Having a memory like a leaky cauldron hadn't helped. Not to mention the fact that his superiors obviously knew it. But Gradstone was hardly stupid enough not to realise when someone considered him a liability. That was why Yewstray had sent him up here, wasn't it? Not that his enthusiasm for the status and power that came with being a respected Death Eater was in any way dampened.

_I'll show them. I can do this just as well as the next Death Eater. It's probably only a bunch of students after all. No problem._

Pausing by a closed door, Gradstone cast a Transparency Spell and was again disappointed to find no one there. He turned to go back the other way … and found his way barred by a Death Eater. 

Quickly, Gradstone stepped back and bowed deeply. Always show respect to the elders; that was the first rule he'd been taught and it was a lesson well worth learning.

'Sir, my apologies, I did not see you there.' he said swiftly, filled with child-like awe at the Death Eater's ability to move without making a sound and wishing fervently that someone would teach _him _how to do that.

A gruff voice came from the depths of the hood.

'Who sent you up here?'

'Yewstray, sir. I heard noises and he sent me to investigate.' 

'Alone?'

'Yes, sir.' 

The Death Eater seemed to be considering him when a slight creak of a door opening caught Gradstone's attention. He turned, wand raised, but was met by a hazy cloud of sparkling blue dust. It flew into his eyes, swirling gently around him. Gradstone swayed slightly, his eyelids growing heavy … an irresistible urge to lay down washed over him. Slumping against the wall, the young Death Eater closed his eyes, slid to the floor in a heap and knew no more.

Sirius had stepped back as soon as the Sleep Spell had wafted out the nearby classroom, covering his face to avoid accidentally inhaling the dust. 

'Should be out for a couple hours,' said Remus, stepping out and waving his wand to clear away the remains of the cloud. 'Fred, George, take him back to the storeroom, bind him, then come back here.'

The twins hastened to obey, levitating Gradstone and floating him off down the corridor. Hermione conjuring a gag to muffle the snoring as they passed.

Sirius beckoned to the rest of the group, leading the way down the stairs.

*

Yewstray strode back to his post and was instantly irked that Gradstone had not yet returned. Damn kid was probably playing at being a Senior Death Eater. He could just see him kicking down doors and expecting prisoners to fall at his feet, forgetting to report back. That kid was asking for at least ten minutes under the Cruciatus curse if he didn't learn not to follow through on such childish ideas.

Dropping his cigarette, Yewstray gave it a hard stamp to put it out when he noticed a number of odd little coloured balls rolling down the passage towards him. Drawing his wand Yewstray stepped nimbly out of the way, letting them roll past. Looking ahead, the balls appeared to be coming down the staircase at the far end, bouncing silently down each step and rolling slowly towards him. Two yellow ones bumped into his feet. Stooping, Yewstray cautiously picked one up. Closer inspection revealed that they weren't balls at all. They appeared to be seeds.

The yellow seed in his hand split - several thin vines shot out and wrapped tightly round his hand, binding his fingers together. With a startled yelp, Yewstray tried to rip them off with his other hand only to have that bound as well. His wand was snagged by another vine and dropped to the floor. Seeds at his feet burst open - the narrow vines reaching and ensnaring his ankles, pulling tightly. Yewstray opened his mouth to shout for help when a clump of sticky webbing shot through the air, wrapping over the lower half of his face. The vines pulled and he fell to the floor, unable to move. 

Several figures came swiftly down the stairs. Five students and a man that Yewstray thought for a moment was a fellow Death Eater. Crouching beside him, the face of Sirius Black regarded Yewstray thoughtfully, casually reaching for his dropped wand.

'Don't mind if I borrow this for a while, do you?' he asked with a grin, twirling the wand idly with his fingers.

Yewstray mumbled something through the webbing over his mouth, fury in his eyes that shifted to amazement as the Boy Who Lived appeared at Black's side.

With a wave of his wand, the webbing stretched over Yewstray's eyes and ears. A moment later he was rendered unconscious with a Stunning Spell.

'Well done, Neville. I wouldn't of thought of using Tangle Vines,' said Sirius turning to Neville who blushed furiously. 'You come up with any more ideas like that, you let us know, okay?'

Luke and Phoebe had just hidden the Death Eater away in a nearby cupboard when Remus, Hermione, and the twins caught up.

'Padfoot, this would be quicker if we split up,' said Remus as he Summoned the unused seeds and returned them to Neville. 

'Right, Harry, you stay with me.' Sirius said quickly.

'Ron, Hermione, you two with me. The rest of you stay with Sirius. None of you are go off on your own, understand? Padfoot, if you'll take the west side, we'll take the east wing. We'll try and secure a clear route down to the second floor.'

The group obediently spilt up. Ron and Hermione both whispering 'good luck' as they passed Harry and followed Remus through a tapestry-covered passage. Harry watched them go, silently praying that it wouldn't be the last time he ever saw them.

'Come on, quickly now.' Sirius took the lead, moving through the shadows, the Gryffindors following. Harry gripped his wand tightly as he hurried after them, wondering if there was any chance at all of getting everyone out alive.

He certainly hoped so.

*

**To Be Continued**

*****

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

*

**Author's Notes**

**Lil Lupin – ***groans* Sorry, Lily, I really don't think I'm going to hit my deadline for this weekend.  Chapter 14 has hit a major mental block.  *Voltora's pencil snaps* Damn it!  I'd like to get started on chapter 17, but that'll mean you'll have to wait even longer for chapter 14.  Thanks for my first Latin lesson; haven't actually read it yet but I'll definitely be reading it over the weekend!

**Evol norgara –** Oooh, I'd never been to mugglenet.com before, so I checked it out the other day; great site!  I sat and read all the editorials, great stuff!   I'll definitely be going back again. ^_^ You're a Slytherin person?  Can't complain if you're supporting Gryffindor! ^_^****

**Elbereth94 – **Thank you!  Glad you love it!****

**Christy – **Yay!  Neville's such a sweet guy, he's definitely got more guts than he realises.  I'm sure JK will make that more obvious in the last three books. (Assuming that he doesn't get killed, of course – now there's a nasty thought!)

**Von – **A cowardly Gryffindor, eh?  Craig's just a minor character here, but he's certainly attracted a lot of hate from people.  You're wondering why the Hat put him in Gryffindor?  Why did the Hat put Peter Pettigrew in Gryffindor?  Or Neville?  Neville hardly seemed to fulfil the 'courageous' requirement for Gryffindor House but slowly we've seen him come out of his shell and be more assertive.  People change, given time.   

*Voltora gets up on her soap-box*

At eleven you may have some prominent characteristics but have others hidden away – by the time you reach eighteen or nineteen, you aren't the same person; you've grown up, had experiences, made choices and whether or not it's for the better is anyone's guess.  Different characteristics may emerge while others diminish.  Pettigrew, and indeed my character Craig, may have had what it took to be worthy of a Gryffindor when they were young, but experiences have affected them in such a way that they come across as very cowardly in a lot of situations.  The Hat's evaluation of your character at age 11 isn't the be all and end all.  

Ever wondered why the Hat would put Hermione in Gryffindor when she has more than enough brain power to be a Ravenclaw?  My theory?  Her courageous nature may have been buried beneath all the brains but could be brought out of her in the right situation, thus Gryffindor would be the best place for her to develop.  Would she have become such a confident and brave witch had she been Sorted to Ravenclaw?  My guess is possibly not.

When I was eleven, there was not a chance that I was ever going to be considered as a Ravenclaw type person; I'm simply not that brainy.  Nor would I have been judged a Slytherin, not being particularly ambitious.  So that leaves Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.  Personally I don't know which House I would have been best suited to.  Now at nineteen, I think I'd have had a chance at being a Gryffindor because of how much I've changed over the years, although I'd never of thought 'yep, Gryffindor's the House for me'; I was too damn quiet and shy!  Maybe I'd have been a Hufflepuff; they're nice people.  ^_^

*Voltora gets down off her soap-box*****

**Samie – ***laughs and claps* That was great!  Wish I could include something like that.  But if you're looking for a crazy-must kill people-type character, you may like the sequel to Tell No Lies.  It's called Take It Back, and it's already posted but you might prefer to wait until this one is done before you read it – the opening chapter is likely to completely spoil the ending of this one!  ^_^****

**Evil spapple pie – **Sorry, I really can't say!  I want to!  But I can't!    Hey, hold up!  Don't slap my character! *Hands Evil an over-sized Beaters bat*  Here, use that! ^_^  

In answer to your question, SF stands for Sirius Fic, which is my current fic project.  It doesn't have a title yet but Sirius is the main character so it's been dubbed Sirius Fic for the time being, or SF for short.  ^_^  It's twenty chapters long, based on Sirius when he's sixteen.  It does include the other Marauders  (yes, Peter as well, unfortunately – I couldn't leave him out.) and it will be at least a PG-13 due to domestic violence and child abuse (not sexual).  Certainly 'darker' than the rest of my fics so far.  I haven't finished it yet; I've hit a mental block on chapter 14, so it's still seven chapters off completion.  I'm not going to post any of it until the entire fic is complete so I doubt it'll be posted until about the end of May.  

Voldemort not being sarcastic?  My fault.  I'm not a sarcastic person by nature so it's a little difficult to get a character to be sarcastic, unfortunately.  Still, I do try.****

**Corrie – **Glad you like it!  ^_^****

**Dragon-gurl – ***Voltora scrambles for a pair of earmuffs and shoves them over her ears*  Wow!  That was loud.  All capitals tends to be taken as shouting and I'd say you've temporarily deafened me.  *lol*  ^_^  So happy you're enjoying this!


	24. Tell No Lies

**Chapter Twenty-four; Tell No Lies**

The Great Hall, once a bright, cheerful room filled with the sound of chatting students and laughter, was now as silent, cold and bleak as the dungeons below, containing an air of dark power and fear.

The enchanted ceiling gave way to a dark near-black sky. Rolling clouds surged overhead, obscuring the starlight. Riding upon the wind were groups of five or six Death Eaters flying in loose arrowhead formations over the castle grounds, the ebony wings of their mounts propelling them swiftly across the sky.

Flaming torches on the walls glowed a poisonous green through the gloom, sending long, flickering shadows across the cold stone floor. The House tables had vanished, leaving a large barren space in the centre. The banners on the walls that had originally portrayed each of the four Hogwarts Houses now displayed sinister skulls and snakes. The Dark Mark.

At the very back wall, a monstrous throne dominated the room. Resting on a podium of black marble, it stood over twelve feet high, fashioned in the image of a spitting cobra with its hood fanning out to either side. It was made of pure, shining silver with unnaturally large emeralds for its eyes. Any witch or wizard who had the grave misfortune to lay eyes upon it may have mistaken it for the legendary Basilisk, and could only pray that they would never confront the one who would sit upon it.

Unfortunately for Tia Torr, that particular prayer would go unanswered.

Her shoes clacked loudly on the stone floor, echoing into the semi-darkness that shrouded the Hall. Marching swiftly, Tia approached the throne and its occupant. Ten feet from the podium she dropped to her knees, crawling forward to kiss the hem of the Dark Lords robes. Her lips brushing the soft material, she hastily drew back, anxious to put some distance between herself and the serpent that lay curled at the Dark Lord's feet. Its cold eyes watched her retreat, its forked tongue flicking eagerly in her direction, tasting her fear.

Although the very notion seemed quite ludicrous, Tia had to admit that she was more frightened by the snake than of its master, who now lowered a white spider-like hand to the snake's ugly head, giving her a gentle caress. With a content hiss, Nagini slithered up the arm of the throne, her long undulating body moving with liquid grace, curling her upper half into Voldemort's lap. And still she held Tia's gaze, cunning intelligence burning like a cold fire in the slit-like eyes.

Tia slowly raised her eyes, giving her full attention to the Dark Lord. His gaze was no better than the snakes; cold, calculating and laughing at her fear.

Hastily composing herself, Tia straightened her posture, meeting Voldemort's eyes unwaveringly. She did not speak. Experience and unpleasant observation had taught her to await the Dark Lord's permission. To speak out of turn was punishable by the Cruciatus Curse; something Tia had enough sense to avoid whenever possible.

For five minutes she waited. Not moving a muscle. 

'You have done well.' 

The Dark Lord spoke just above a whisper, a twisted smile on his lipless face. 

'Thank you, Sir,' she said stiffly. 

Judging by the tone, he had not summoned her merely to congratulate her on a job well done. 

Voldemort leaned back, one hand idly stroking the huge serpent on his lap.

'Where is he?' 

Tia's blood felt as though it had turned to ice. 

'I - I don't know, Sir.'

The smile vanished in an instant, his blood red eyes flashed dangerously. Tia half-expecting lightning bolts to come shooting out of them. She opened her mouth with the futile hope of being allowed to explain but all that came out was a scream of agony as the Cruciatus Curse wrapped itself around her, setting her bones on fire and sending her mind reeling with the pain. The Curse was abruptly lifted barely five seconds later. A warning. Mild by his usual standards, and Tia took heart from his lenience. Shaking violently, she pulled herself up off the floor.

'Find him!' 

Dismissed, Tia bowed deeply and hastened from the Hall.

*

'Ouch!'

Harry clapped a hand over his scar, wincing as a sharp burst of hot pain shot through his head. Sirius was beside him in seconds, asking what was wrong.

Harry could only manage a soft groan of pain. The initial flash of agony had mercifully passed as soon as it had come but the ache lingered. His head was throbbing painfully.

Sirius gently steered Harry to an empty seat. They were in the History of Magic classroom. Fred and George had just brought in another Death Eater. She was frozen in the Full Body Bind with her hood pulled low over her face. Luke, Ginny and Phoebe were double-checking the bound Death Eaters that they'd already caught unawares.

'You'd think they'd be a bit more alert,' Ginny mumbled, re-casting the Stunning Spell on a wriggling Death Eater.

'Cocky gits,' Phoebe sneered. 'So full of themselves now that they're inside the castle they just aren't expecting an attack.'

'Least of all one from inside the castle,' added Luke.

Sirius knelt beside Harry, firmly easing his hand away from his scar, carefully examining him.

'Sirius, I'm fine,' he protested feebly.

Sirius ignored the comment. Raising his 'borrowed' wand over Harry he cast a soothing healing spell over him. With a sigh of relief, Harry felt most of the pain leave him.

'Feel better?'

'Yeah, much better, thanks.'

'How bad was it?'

'Not too bad. It was very quick.' Harry said. 'I think He just hexed someone … if He'd killed someone it would have hurt a lot more.' 

Solemnly Sirius nodded, watching Harry closely. He looked as though he was about to say something but was interrupted by the return of Neville, Katie and Alicia. The three of them had volunteered to have a look down the south corridor to check if it was clear. By the look on their faces it was a safe bet to say that it wasn't.

'Sirius, there's another four Death Eaters in this section. They're all in the second trophy gallery,' Neville informed him.

Sirius immediately called the group together, a plan already formulated to take them down.

'Alright, Luke, Katie, George, I want you three to seal the gallery's south entrance, go down by Professor Sprout's office, second passage on the left. Fred, go with Phoebe and Alicia to the main entrance. When all of you are in position, seal all the doors and use the strongest Silencing Charms you can manage. We don't want them shouting for help.

'Ginny, Neville, I want both of you to stay here. Keep an eye on these,' he gestured to the limp forms of their prisoners. ' … and Harry.'

Harry stared up at his godfather. 'What? But I just said I'm fine!' 

'I know, but I'd rather you rest for a bit, Harry, just to be sure that you're okay. Now, I don't want you sneaking off to help the others; you stay here until I get back.'

'Why? Where're you going?' A slight note of panic was creeping into Harry's voice.

'I'm only going down to the next floor to see how many we'll be up against. There'll be more of them the further down we go and I doubt they'll be as easy to sneak up on as these ones were. We don't want to get in over our heads.' Catching Harry's worried look, he added, 'I'll go as Padfoot. They won't see me in the shadows.' Sirius gave Harry an encouraging smile. 'I won't be long, I promise. Trust me?'

Harry smiled and nodded. Sirius fondly ruffled his godson's hair, stood up, gave a few last instructions to the others to return to the classroom the moment they'd completed their mission, transformed, and with a wag of his tail, disappeared out the door.

*

Meanwhile, on the far side of the castle, Remus, Hermione, and Ron were investigating a possible route to take them down to Dumbledore's office.

'I think that if we can reach the boys' bathroom on the fifth floor we may be able to take a passage from there down to the dungeons, and take the passage behind the tapestry beside Snape's office back up to the second floor,' Remus whispered as he swiftly led Ron and Hermione down a dark, narrow corridor. None of them had lit their wands just in case someone spotted the light and caught them.

'But wouldn't we end up at the wrong end of the castle?' asked Hermione, struggling to visualise the Marauders Map and the castles complex passage system as best she could.

'Yes, but it will get us down there with the absolute minimum risk of being seen,' said Remus. 'With a bit of luck we'll be able to get into Dumbledore's office and alert the Ministry before anyone notices anything.'

'Um, I think we're going to need more than a _bit_ of luck,' whispered Ron. He had stopped at a T-junction in the corridors, indicating the left-hand passage with a jerk of his head.

Cautiously, Remus and Hermione crept up behind him to take a look.

Blocking their way was a large group of Death Eaters. Eight, maybe nine in total. Remus grabbed hold of the back of Ron's robes and pulled him back out of sight before any of them looked up the passage.

'What do we do now?' whispered Hermione, anxiously looking to Remus. 

'I would suggest going back, but there's no other way around them,' he said grimly. 'So we're going to have to go through them.'

*

As silent as his nickname implied, Padfoot moved through the shadows, blending with the darkness. His raven-black fur shrouding his form, allowing him to pass undetected to the lower floors of the castle.

What he saw disturbed him.

Death Eaters down every corridor, moving in packs like jackals. Some alert and wary, the Seniors no doubt, barking orders left and right to search all the rooms for any students. The underlings hastened to obey before a reprimanding hex was sent in their general direction.

Sirius tried to plot their general positions on a mental map.

_Two, maybe three heading down the south-east corridor … seven on the west wing, ought to avoid them … four by the gallery, shouldn't be a problem…_

Gliding down the stairs like a ghost, Padfoot headed for the fourth floor storerooms, ignoring the nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him he was too far away from the others … from Harry. Hesitantly, Sirius crept along the passage, contemplating whether or not he could risk sneaking down another floor, just to see if he could confirm roughly how many Death Eaters they were up against, when one in particular caught his attention.

She was climbing the stairs, her hair looking extremely windswept, her violet eyes bright but cold. Her face was as hard as marble, no sweet smile on her lips but a grimace of frustration as she stepped onto the landing, holding her hand out down the left of the corridor and then to her right. The ring upon her finger was glowing an icy blue, pulsing weakly. Glaring furiously at it, Tia cursed, spun on her heel and stormed up the right hand passage towards Sirius.

Sirius froze. Part of him wanted to go to her. To hold her close … to tell her how worried he'd been … that she was so beautiful … 

Confused, Sirius shook his head hard, gazing uncertainly at the lovely witch as she drew closer. Where on earth were these ridiculous thoughts coming from? Now was probably the _least_ appropriate time for them. 

He hadn't wanted to believe any of what Harry, or indeed anyone else, had said against Tia … they just didn't understand…

Backing away slowly, Sirius tried desperately to make sense of the jumble of thoughts racing through his mind. What was going on?

Tia was roaming freely in a castle besieged by the Dark Lord and his supporters - but surely she wasn't - she had not been taken prisoner with the rest of the staff - there had to be a mistake - did that not mean - he'd trusted her - Harry never had - Harry had tried to warn him -

Head pounding, Sirius gave a plaintive yelp, shutting his eyes tightly. Every time he tried to think something against Tia, a painful pulse shot through his head. What was wrong with him? This had happened before, hadn't it? He couldn't remember. He couldn't think.

'Sirius.'

That voice … that beautiful voice…

Clamping down on the inappropriate thought, Sirius slowly opened his eyes.

Tia was standing over him, his outburst revealing his presence. She was smiling. Not the warm, loving smile that she so often wore whenever she was around him. This was more of a satisfied smile, like a tiger that had stumbled across a wounded prey animal and knew its belly would soon be full.

'Sirius.' Her voice was soft, melodious. But something was telling Sirius that, like a tiger, she may be beautiful, but she was also deadly. 'Come to me, Sirius,' she said firmly. 'Reveal yourself.'

No, he couldn't! He didn't understand what was going on. What was wrong with him?

Against his will, Sirius stepped out of the shadows and transformed.

*

Despite Remus' observation that the odds were most definitely not in their favour, being outnumbered at least three-to-one, he was confident that they _did_ have a chance so long as the element of surprise and speed was working for them.

Certainly the Clouding Spell coupled with a giant ghostly dragon's head lunging down the narrow passage seemed to catch the Death Eaters off guard.

One of them panicked, dropping to the floor to avoid the dragon and sending an Impediment Jinx at it. The spell shot straight through the illusion to strike one of his teammates.

Wasting no time, Remus set off half a dozen Stunning Spells into the fog in quick succession.  Muffled cries indicated that at least two had met with an unwary target.

The fog was suddenly dispelled. The remaining Death Eaters had got themselves organised and ready to launch a counter-attack.

Numerous hexes and jinxes flashed through the air in rapid fire bursts of light; shields and barriers were shattered almost as soon as they materialised. Ron quickly gave up on firing hexes, focusing more on blocking them and casting protective shields over Remus and Hermione instead.

Hermione worked incredibly fast, sending any and every hex that came to mind; Freezing, Stunning, Paralysis, Leg-Locker, Sleep, even a few Transfiguration spells knowing full well that even if they hit their target, they were not powerful enough to result in a complete transformation. The image of a Death Eater trying to aim a wand with penguin flippers would have been funny had the situation not been so serious.

Remus was matching the Death Eaters return fire spell for spell; blocking some but reflecting others and sending back a few of his own. A blazing fireball erupted into being and forced the Death Eaters back a little but it was quickly extinguished. Remus then set off a swarm of flying darts but they were met with a cloud of acid that disintegrated them on impact.

By sheer luck, one spell got through the Death Eaters' defences to smack one in the midriff. The Jelly Legs Jinx took hold; the Death Eater wavered on his rubbery limbs, falling against his unwary comrade. They both went tumbling backwards causing those behind them to falter in their attack.

Without hesitation, Ron and Hermione dove forward shouting Freezing and Binding Spells. A huge net of over-sized spider-web was slung over their heads and wrapped tightly round the struggling Death Eaters on the floor.

But before they could even catch their breath, someone stepped out of the gloom beyond the fallen Death Eaters, screaming a deadly curse.

With reflexes reminiscent of his werewolf form, Remus threw himself to the floor, kicking out at Ron and Hermione, sweeping their legs out from under them. The curse missed their heads by inches as they dropped.

_'Stupefy!'_

The Stunning Spell shot at the newcomer but was deflected, albeit only just in time, but it gave Remus a few precious seconds to find his feet and fire another. Again the spell was deflected but this time the force behind it sent a shockwave down the corridor; the Death Eater braced himself only to be flung against the wall. His hood fell.

For a frozen moment Remus stared into the pale, watery blue eyes of a man he had once considered a friend.

Peter Pettigrew stared back, hesitation flickering across his face but that quickly vanished. He raised his wand, rapidly conjuring a forest of huge, barbed spikes that burst out of the floor, walls and ceiling in front of him. Remus knew by the startled shouts of Ron and Hermione that the way back had been similarly blocked. 

'Holy -!' Ron grabbed Hermione, hauling her away from another lethal spike that jutted out of the wall, stopping right where her shoulder had been a second ago. With a terrified cry, Hermione ran backwards into Remus who drew both of them close behind him, shielding them from Peter and what he himself was about to do.

Throwing a shield over Ron and Hermione, Remus flung up his hands, focusing with all his might on amplify what was usually a fairly basic spell. Blocking everything else out of his mind, he concentrated.

Flames erupted from his palms, a rich orange and red blaze that streamed out of his hands, lancing through the air. The fire hit the spikes in a wave of heat, the flames crackling loudly, licking at the metal. The roar drowned out everything. Directing the fiery lance at the very centre of the tangle of spikes, he increased the temperature rapidly. The intense heat wave rolled down the corridor, slamming against the metal like a solid wall. The spikes turned a glowing white and begun to melt, blobs of liquid metal dripping rapidly to the floor.

Hoping that was enough, Remus cancelled the spell, drawing the flames back to him, compressing the fire into a swirling orb before it burst into a cloud of smoke and vanished.

Pettigrew stood frozen at the far end of the corridor, staring at Remus with a mixture of fear, frustration and loathing. With a shout of fury he tried to hurl another hex but found his wand suddenly yanked out of his hand by Ron bellowing the Disarming Spell. Fear took hold, his eyes widened and before anyone could stop him, he turned and bolted down a side passage.

'Stop him!' Remus vaulted over the melted stubs that remained of the spikes. 'Before he warns the rest of them!'

Grabbing Hermione's hand, Ron pulled her to her feet and they raced after Remus, failing to notice, as they passed a window, the silvery glow through the clouds as the moon began to rise.

*

'What's going on?'

Tia giggled, smiling sweetly, ignoring Sirius' vague question. She glided up to him, her slender hands snaking their way up his chest, round his shoulders, drawing his head close, and planting a soft kiss on his lips.

'Does _that_ answer your question?'  She smiled ever more broadly at the startled expression on his face.

'Tia -'

'Shh.'

Placing a delicate finger to his lips, Tia tilted his head so that their eyes met. An indescribable calm washed over him. Suddenly he didn't need to say anything … nothing else was important … 

Slowly, Tia reached up, forcing his lips against hers -

'Oh, please,' drawled a cold, sneering voice. 'Don't let me interrupt.'

Tia whipped round. Whether she was startled or just mad at the interruption, she had her wand out in an instant, aimed straight at Lucius Malfoy's heart.

'Back off, Lucius!'

Lucius sneered, raising his hands mockingly in surrender.

'No, really, do carry on. It'll be interesting to see how the Master likes you hitting on your 'boyfriend' when you are supposed to be bringing him the Potter boy. May I ask why you are so intent on trying his patience?  Not very clever of you.'  

'I have no intention of doing any such thing.' she snapped, glowering at him.

'Where _is _the boy? We were under the impression that you could locate him, wherever he might be.'  Lucius strolled casually towards her, looking up and down the corridor, eyes sweeping the darkness. 'I don't see him. Could it be that you have failed us? My dear Allison, you disappoint us all.'

Tia's eyes flashed.

'Don't you _dare _call me that!' 

She stormed over to Lucius, trying to look menacing, but she only came up to his shoulders, something that Lucius Malfoy seemed to find rather amusing. 

'You're cute when you're angry,' he said, thoroughly enjoying the enraged fury in her eyes. 'Intimidation just doesn't work very well for you, and neither does your ring by all accounts.' He raised her hand, fingering the ring that was still pulsing weakly. Tia jerked her hand away.

'It is hardly my fault if the talisman's signal has been corrupted,' she said curtly.

'Indeed. And pray tell what you are doing to remedy the situation? Our Master's patience wears thin.'

'Our?' Tia made a show of looking deeply confused. '_Your_ Master, Lucius. I have no _Master._'

Lucius chuckled, his eyes scornful.

'Believe what you will, my dear.  Just remember that while you are among the Dark Order, Death Eater or not, His orders are there to be obeyed.'  His polite manner dropped.  'Where is the boy?'

Tia folded her arms.

'He is inside the castle, unable to escape, as required.  I lowered the bulwarks of the castle to allow you inside and I have put up with this charade all as your master asked.' she said.  'I will take my payment now, if you'll excuse me.  I can do no more for your Lord.'

'Your payment?' Lucius murmured softly.  'I take it that this young man would be a part of that?'

Sirius had neither moved nor spoken since Malfoy's appearance.  The Death Eater strode over to him, raised his hand and snapped his fingers in front of his face.  Sirius did not blink.

'Interesting.' he said curiously.

'A slight variation of a Confundus Charm,' Tia stated proudly.  'Coupled with a Passion Spell in conjunction with a mild Obedience Hex, well, he can't help but do as I ask.  He can't say a word against me.'

'Seductiveness _and_ brains?  A rare combination.  Though I believe _my_ Lord had something to do with that first talent?'  Slyly gesturing to her beautiful face, Lucius continued to examine Sirius closely, stroking his chin in thought.  Tia glared stonily at him.

'Perhaps,' she admitted begrudgingly.  'Not that it is any business of yours.'

'Oh, but it _is_ my business, Allison.  You sought Lord Voldemort's help and he granted it.  You have yet to repay the dept.  Therefore your payment shall be withheld until such time as you complete your assignment.'

Lucius had barely raised his wand when Tia shoved herself between him and Sirius, a cold fire blazing in her eyes.

'Don't – you – _dare.'_ she hissed angrily.  'He's _mine_.'

'You named him as the price for your service,' said Lucius maliciously.  'He belongs to Lord Voldemort until you can bring him the boy as you promised you would.'

Eyes narrowed, Tia clenched her fists.  She raised her hand.  The ring was still pulsing weakly, first indicating to her left, then to her right, the homing signal wavering all over the place.

_What's wrong with this damn thing? _she thought furiously, giving it a forceful shake.  It made no difference.  The Tracking Spell had been completely disrupted.

Lucius Malfoy shook his head slowly, tutting.

'As I said … a disappointment.'  He heaved a sigh.  'Lord Voldemort does not take disappointment well.  He ensures that those responsible for his disappointment are punished appropriately.'

Tia's face paled, her palms sweating.

'There may be a way to avoid that of course,' he went on, smiling like a snake.  'Although it will require your payment being postponed.'  He brushed Tia aside, aiming his wand at Sirius' chest.  'If you cannot go to the boy, we can simply arrange for the boy to come to us.  I'm sure Lord Voldemort will be most pleased …'

*

The Hogwarts library was a magnificent room, taking up almost half of the fifth floor. Filled with thousands of shelves, hundreds of narrow rows, it was a wonder that students didn't get lost among the dusty volumes from time to time. Very disorientating if you were not familiar with the layout, it provided a convenient bolthole for Pettigrew who crashed through the double doors and scurried into the maze of shelves in a desperate attempt to lose his pursuers.

Remus calmly stepped into the room a few moments later, eyes sweeping the shadowy corners and long narrow aisles. He didn't expect Peter to suddenly jump out and attack, not when his fundamental instinct was self-preservation, to run.

'Lock the doors,' Remus whispered over his shoulder.

Obediently, Hermione eased the doors shut and locked them. As an added precaution, Ron cast a Silencing Charm over the doors and fused them shut with a sticky glue-like substance.

'Remember, if you see him, do not try to take him on alone; call for help, okay?'

The teenagers nodded solemnly. The three of them spread out, Remus heading down the left side of the room, Hermione disappearing down the centre aisle and Ron taking the far right.

The labyrinth of passages were dimly lit, stubs of candles were burning low in their holders upon the worktables. Shadows wavered where the passages branched off in different directions. 

Ron crept through the Potions section, wand aiming at any shadow that moved. Moving slowly, he hardly made a sound, walking almost on tiptoe, eyes peeled for the traitorous little rat.

For nearly five minutes, he found nothing. Neither Remus nor Hermione had shouted, so they hadn't found Pettigrew yet either. A constant prickling on the back of his neck was quickly convincing Ron that someone was watching him, but every time he looked around there was nothing there.

A shadow moved up ahead, flittering behind the shelves there. Taking a deep breath, Ron hurried up to a gap in the shelving, slipped through and sneaked round to where he'd seen the shadow. It was a dead end. Nothing there.

Sensing, rather than hearing someone move, Ron whipped round and found himself face to face with Pettigrew. But he wasn't alone. One arm was wrapped tightly around Hermione, holding her in front of him with his other hand close to her neck. A hand that glimmered silver.

'If you make a sound, I'll kill her,' Pettigrew snarled, wrapping his cold fingers around Hermione's slender throat. She gave a frightened whimper, her brown eyes wide and pleading. 'Put your wand on the floor. Slowly!'

With no idea as to what else he could do, Ron obeyed, crouching slowly, placed his wand on the floor, and straightened up.

'Back up.'

As Ron did as he was told, Pettigrew forced Hermione forward until they were standing just over the wand. Ron tried to tell Hermione without words that it would okay but she wasn't looking at him; the hand at her throat was more demanding of her attention. 

Just as Pettigrew made to lean down and retrieve it, a blast of yellow light struck the wand; it blew across the floor towards Ron who snatched it up and pointed it at Pettigrew just as a voice shouted 'Freeze Peter!'

Pettigrew drew back against the shelves, still holding Hermione close. Remus was stood at the opposite end of the aisle with his wand aimed directly at the two of them.

'Let her go, Peter,' he ordered coldly, taking a step closer.

Pettigrew sneered, though his voice wavered uncertainly. 'You won't shoot me, Remus. You'd hit the girl.' He tightened his grip. Hermione squirmed, unable to get loose.

Remus shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. 'If she gets hit, she gets hit. Can't help that.'

'Y - you wouldn't do it.' Pettigrew stammered. 'You wouldn't kill me. Harry asked you not to, remember?' He was starting to sound rather desperate, masking it with false confidence.

'I don't need to kill you, Peter. One Stunner is more than enough to take you down.' Remus stated coolly. He looked to Hermione. 'I apologise Hermione, but I'd rather stun you both than risk hitting you with something more powerful.'

Hermione gave a weak smile and a nod. Pettigrew tightened his grip. Ron edged a little closer. Pettigrew had turned quite pale, his eyes flicking nervously around the room before moving swiftly back to Remus. He gave a low laugh, smirking.

'What's so funny?' Ron demanded angrily.

Peter simply continued to watch Remus with his beady eyes, glinting maliciously. Suddenly, Remus let out a grunt of pain, clutching his stomach. He slumped against the wall, his whole body shaking violently.

Pettigrew looked over his shoulder at Ron. 

'That,' he said simply.

Remus fell to the floor, twitching convulsively. Thick grey fur was rippling up and down his shifting form, his face elongating into a long muzzle filled with razor sharp, long, deadly teeth.

Ron backed up into the shelves behind him. Hermione struggled frantically to get out of Pettigrew's grip. 

'Let go of me!' she pleaded, fearfully watching her former professor mutating on the floor in front of her.

'Werewolves do have a fondness for human prey, do they not? Human flesh is something they find _very_ tasty.' He hissed gleefully into her ear. 'Lucky for me, they don't take much notice of small rodents.'

With a nasty grin at Ron, Pettigrew shoved Hermione to the floor; she landed scrawled beside the almost transformed wolf. In the blink of an eye, Pettigrew had transformed, scurrying away into the shadows.

_'Hermione!' _

Absolutely terrified, Hermione froze, staring up into the glowing amber eyes of the werewolf. The transformation was complete. Breathless with fear, Hermione shut her eyes tight, expecting the next thing she felt to be those vicious teeth tearing into her flesh -

She flinched as something nudged her shoulder. A gentle touch. Warm breath blew across her face, a soft panting in her ears. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

The huge wolf was sitting calmly before her, tail wagging and gently nudging her with its muzzle. The amber eyes were watching her closely … kindly…

'Remus?' Hermione whispered. 

The wolf gave the canine equivalent of a smile, tail thumping harder against the floor.  He backed off to give her room to stand.  But before she could move, Ron dropped down beside her and flung his arms around her.

'Ron!  What – '

'You're okay,' he said, his voice muffled and croaky.  'I mean, you're not hurt?  That git didn't – you _are _okay, aren't you?'

Rather astonished, Hermione smiled shakily, and hugged him back.

'Yes, thank you.  I'm fine, but … er … I do need to breathe.'

'Oh, sorry.'  Ron quickly let go, his face flushed.  Awkwardly he scrambled to his feet and offered her his hand.

'For a moment there I thought you were going to bite Hermione's head off - ' said Ron, turning to the wolf, but drew up short as a thunderous growl answered.

Lips drawn back in a fearsome snarl, Remus took a step towards them.

Ever so slowly, Ron and Hermione backed up, faces growing very pale.

'I thought he'd taken that Wolfsbane Potion stuff,' Ron whispered shakily, hand edging towards his wand.

Both of them froze as the werewolf glided past them.  He went straight to where Pettigrew had stood, placing his nose to the floor and took a deep sniff.  Lifting his head, the wolf glanced back at Ron and Hermione, snarled, then took off, following the scent.

Hermione drew her wand and hurried after him.

'Come worry, Ron.  He's perfectly safe,' Hermione assured him.  'Come on, let's get that little slimeball.'

Ron quickly followed.  They ran back through the library, weaving between the shelves, eyes peeled. 

Remus' ears pricked up and he broke into a run, pelting down the aisle, body low to the ground, snarling furiously. A small dark shape dashed across the path. Remus pounced, swiping at the rodent with his huge paws. Squealing loudly, the rat shot between the wolf's paws, racing towards Ron and Hermione in a blind panic.

_'Stupefy!'_ they shouted.

The spells struck the floor, inches away from their target. Remus spun round and leapt after Pettigrew, knocking over a rack of shelves in his haste. Several huge volumes tumbled off the shelves; one landing right on top of the fleeing rat. A muffled squeak cried out, a bald tail whipping back and forth from under the book. Ron and Hermione held their wands ready as Remus crouched low, ready to spring.

Pettigrew transformed, flinging his silver hand up. A blast that shook the room erupted from it, sending Ron and Hermione flying backwards' into the shelves, books raining down upon their heads. The werewolf launched itself into the air, jaws wide. Pettigrew spun round, screaming a curse - shards of silver sliced through the air - Ron bellowed a spell - a shimmering haze of red and gold clouded the wolf's form - the shards slid over the barriers surface, bouncing off harmlessly. 

Eyes wide, Pettigrew transformed as the wolf's jaws flashed -

Hermione shoved the heavy books off of herself, struggling to disentangle her robes from the fragmented remains of the broken shelves. Ron offered her a hand. 

'Madam Pince is going to have a fit when she sees this!' he said, grinning.

'Did we get him? Where's the rat?' she asked anxiously.

They looked to Remus who was calmly sitting beside them like an obedient dog, his tail wagging at full speed. From his mouth dangled the limp, unconscious form of a mangy grey rat, eyes half-closed and silver paw hanging harmlessly to the side.

_'Harry Potter,'_

Like a blast of icy wind, the voice of Lord Voldemort, alight with malice, echoed throughout the castle.  Ron, Hermione and Remus froze, listening.

_'I have with me your precious godfather, Sirius Black. As I understand it, you are quite fond of him? It would be a shame if anything were to happen to him, would it not? I have very little patience, Potter … so unless you surrender yourself now, I will see to it that your godfather is put under the most painful torture possible, so that he will die an excruciating, painfully slow death. _

_'You have ten minutes, Potter.' _

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

**_*_**

**Authors Notes**

**Elbereth94 – **Neville's a favourite of mine so I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with him! *beams delightedly*  This chapter answer your question about Tia and Sirius?  Ooh, the next two chapters are going to be nasty!  Think I'll invest in a good hiding place …****

**Lil Lupin – **You're right; I've given up on deadlines – I never meet them! ^_^  Chapter 14 is coming along slowly.  I decided not to write anything for a few days then go back to it; seemed to do the trick, I felt a bit more clear-headed about it and managed to write a few pages.  Yay me!  *groans*  I've been writing this since September and I _still _can't think of a title!!??*bashes head on the keyboard repeatedly*  Ow.  By the way, I've had a read of that Latin lesson you sent me!  Hhm, I think I understood it, but then I'm not familiar with all the words.  May I have another?  *grins*****

**Evol norgara – **There there *pats evol on the head*  I don't like the waits any more than you do – just because I can choose whether or not to actually post the chapter and make people wait even longer and longer, taunting them because I have complete control over the fic … Nah, I wouldn't _really _do that. Honest! *grins nervously*  Why do you think I only started posting this once _all_ the chapters were ready?  No more waiting weeks and weeks for the author to get through her mental block, ha ha!  Only post completed fics; it's the new rule I live by. ^_^    Damn it, my next fic may not appear for a while yet.  I'm aiming for an end of May posting for my next one – no guarantee though; it's not done yet!  (Six and a half chapters to go! *does happy dance*)****

**Evil spapple pie – **Um, I do believe that Harry _did _go with Sirius last time; blimey I can't remember for sure.  I must have changed something here, other than correct the mistakes.  Hhm, nope, sorry, memory fails me.  *joins in whacking Craig with the Beaters bat*  All good fun! *evil grin*  I have been thinking about writing a Peter fic, just a short one, maybe about how he feels on being 'overshadowed' by his three talented friends. No definite plans yet; other fics are taking priority.  ^_^

Sarcastic comebacks eh?  My sister can be _very _sarcastic, and I can never think of a comeback – and even when I do think of one, it's normally about a day or two later! ^_^ 

Good luck with your exams!****

**Von – ***evil grin*  I have a good reason for splitting the group up.  Okay, it's odd for such a difference in numbers, but my evil *cough-cough* plan won't work otherwise!  ^_^  Shall I drop a hint?  La la la – nope!  *practises her evil cackle*

**Werepup –** Not gonna tell you! *grins* Ooh, you'll be screaming that question at me by the end of the next chapter.  ^_^


	25. Hostage Situation

**Chapter Twenty-five; Hostage Situation**

Sirius' body felt strangely distant, lying scrawled on the cold, hard floor of the Great Hall, his mind reeling with the pain. Throat too sore to continue screaming, his breath came in laboured, ragged pants. 

He lay still, head pounding as a cold, high-pitched voice reverberated through his mind.

_'… unless you surrender yourself, I will see to it that your godfather is put under the most painful torture possible, so that he will die an excruciating, painfully slow death._

_'You have ten minutes, Potter.'_

His vision swimming, Sirius glared murderously up at the Dark Lord.

'He won't come,' he said hoarsely. 

Voldemort slowly turned to look down at him, scarlet eyes shining through the gloom. The throne in which he sat was tall enough to cast him into deep shadow; only a dim silhouette and his glowing eyes were visible.

'I see no reason why he shouldn't,' said Voldemort softly.

Sirius slowly made to get up. He did not want to die lying at this foul creature's feet. His legs shook slightly as he shifted his weight onto them, but he managed to stand, meeting the pitiless eyes, his vision clearing.

The wand he'd taken from one of the Death Eaters had been confiscated. He had no means of defending himself.  While Sirius had had a great deal of practise with wandless magic over the past few years it required a lot of concentration and could quickly sap your strength, leaving you exhausted.  It was not a viable option against three wizards at full magical strength. 

Transforming would hardly do him any favours.  What could he possibly do as Padfoot?  Bite Lucius Malfoy's leg?

The Death Eater stood on Voldemort's right hand, arms folded, sneering down at Sirius.

Tia was on Voldemort's left, nervously eyeing the snake that was curled in his lap hissing ominously at her.

Sirius felt a hot surge of anger and confusion.  There was a disturbing gap in his memory.  He could recall seeing Tia in the corridor … she'd ordered him to transform … he must have done so but the next clear memory he had was that of being hit with the Cruciatus Curse.  The events that occurred between those two incidences were so hazy Sirius couldn't be sure if they were real.  

He had a nasty suspicion that this may have happened before but his memory refused to cooperate and tell him so.

Tia stole a few tentative glances at him but quickly averted her eyes.

Voldemort raised his wand, pointing it at Sirius again. The Cruciatus Curse hit him full force. The pain was unbearable; his very skin was burning, peeling away agonisingly slowly, layer by layer. Sirius was biting his tongue so hard he could taste blood flooding his mouth. A scream of agony erupted from his throat - and the curse was lifted.

Sirius collapsed, black starbursts dancing across his eyes, barely conscious. He could hear Voldemort laughed coldly, the sinister cackle ringing in his ears.

Surely - _surely_ Harry wouldn't risk himself so foolishly? Sirius tried to tell himself that, but a part of him didn't seem to want to accept it. No, he couldn't. It was suicidal. The only possible outcome was death. Yes, Harry had escaped from Voldemort's clutches several times but with each attempt he'd come that little bit closer to losing his life. You could not be lucky every time. The safest thing was for Harry to stay away, not to listen to Voldemort's demands. To ignore the fact that Sirius was now his prisoner.

The thought that he would never see his godson again hurt Sirius more deeply than the Cruciatus Curse could ever penetrate. Tears stung his eyes, threatening to spill.

He had to trust that Remus would get a message out. The Ministry would send help. Fudge may be an incompetent fool but not everyone under his command were so short-sighted as to ignore the urgent plight of hundreds of stranded students; the entire future of the magical community.  Their own children.

If Harry and the others could just stay hidden, out of danger, then they would be fine. It would just take a bit of time. Not that Sirius believed that he had much of it left.

Sirius waited until his vision cleared. It took longer than before. Several hits with the Cruciatus Curse had rapidly drained his strength. His muscles and bones protested as he forced himself up again with no small amount of effort.

Voldemort waited until Sirius had regained his footing before turning to address Malfoy.

'Lucius, summon those of the Inner Circle. Destroying the Boy-Who-Lived would be a disappointment without an audience to witness it.'

Malfoy nodded and left the Hall, his black cloak billowing out behind him. Tia stood a little behind the Dark Lord, looking sullen. Voldemort must have noticed. 

'You have something to say?' he asked softly.

Tia looked startled at being addressed.  She recovered herself quickly however.

'Yes, Sir.  You promised me that I would have him if - '

Her curt reply was cut short as the Cruciatus Curse struck.  She shrieked and fell to her knees, her body writhing.  Sirius closed his eyes, only opening them again when the screaming came to an abrupt end.  Tia was gasping for breath, shaking all over.

'Get up,' sneered the Dark Lord.  'You want him?  You asked me for him, along with so many other 'small favours', requests that I granted only because you proved yourself capable of carrying out my orders.  Yet you believed yourself above such matters, your judgement clouded by petty access to your reward.'  He cast a disdainful look at Sirius, who was staring at Tia.

'I don't think you deserve it.  You were nothing before my aid, Allison, you know that.  I gave you all that you wished for … a beautiful body … seductive prowess … even supplied potion ingredients when you had need of them … all of this I granted in exchange for gaining entry to Hogwarts and Harry Potter.  If you fail in your task, then you have not earned your prize.'

Sirius felt a chill run up his spine as the comprehension dawned.

Allison.

Harry had been right.

The whole time he'd been nothing more than a pawn in her twisted game and Harry had tried to tell him, warn him.

And Sirius hadn't believed him.

'Allison?'  His voice was so quiet and hoarse he was surprised that she heard him.

Her strange violet eyes snapped up, wide and staring.  They narrowed angrily as she hissed, 'I do _not_ go by that name anymore.'

She took a step towards him.

'My love, I'm sorry.  He – He said he wouldn't harm you … just tell him where that little brat is and he'll let us go.  We can be together again … like before.'

Sirius slowly took a step back, bewildered by the frenzied stare.

'Allison - '

'Don't call me that!' she screeched.  'My name is _Tia _–_'_ Her face fell, gazing mournfully at him.  'You never meant it, did you?  You love me.  You told me so.'

'What happened to you?' whispered Sirius.

Tia laughed.  It was not a sane sound.

'I became beautiful,' she purred.  'You like me beautiful, don't you, my love?  I knew you wanted me back.  It was the others that kept us apart.  But they won't anymore.  We can leave … go somewhere far away.  We'll be happy – we're meant to be together … you know we are …'

Sirius continued to back up slowly, trying to keep a little distance.  Tia was slowly descending from the podium, a very hungry look in her eyes.

'Alli – Tia,' he said nervously.  'You're not well.  If you let me, I can help you.'

But Tia didn't seem to have heard a single word.  She stepped down from the podium.

A sudden rumble of sound came from beyond the doors of the Great Hall.  All three of them turned to look as the doors burst open with a tremendous bang.  Sirius' jaw dropped.

Harry, astride his Firebolt, shot into the Hall, soaring up to the enchanted ceiling. Below him, a number of hooded Death Eaters had followed him inside. They spread out swiftly, keeping to the walls, wands at the ready. Two of them quickly shut the doors behind them. There was no other way out.

Harry hovered high above their heads like a hawk.

'Voldemort,' he shouted. 'If you want me to surrender you'll have to let Sirius go!'

Sirius was torn between pride at the fearlessness of his godson to face the Dark Lord, and exasperation at Harry's foolishness.

'Harry! _What do you think you're doing?_' he shouted in disbelief.

Harry ignored him.

Voldemort smiled. 'I'm afraid, Potter, that you are in no position to make demands. Your godfather will remain here for as long as I find him useful.' 

He raised his wand. Sirius cried out in agony, falling to the floor, his body writhing convulsively. 

'Or until you surrender.'

Harry gripped his Firebolt so tightly his knuckles went white. He hesitated for only a second before going into a steep dive. Pulling the broom up sharply, he came to a halt, hovered level with the Dark Lord, who smiled with cruel satisfaction.

'That's better,' he said coldly, lowering his wand.

Sirius lay prone, tremors running up and down his body. Harry leapt off his broom and ran to his godfather, dropping to his knees beside him.

'Sirius?' He touched his shoulder, giving Sirius a gentle shake. 'Can you hear me?'

'Don't you touch him!' Tia cried, making towards him.  But Voldemort raised his hand and she faltered.

'Now, now, none of that.'

'But –' Tia struggled against the invisible force hindering her progress, her eyes fixed on Harry and Sirius.  'He belongs to _me_.'

'He has not yet served his purpose,' said Voldemort smoothly.  With a further sweep of his hand, the young woman was roughly thrown back against the wall.  She gasped in pain and slumped at the base of the wall.  

'Do not intervene,' the Dark Lord stated coldly.

Not sure what to make of Professor Torr's peculiar outburst, Harry quickly returned his attention to Sirius.  He drew his wand, waving it over Sirius' body, casting a simple revival spell.

For a moment Sirius didn't move. Then his eyes fluttered open.  He carefully sat up, looking rather dazed but he gave a weak smile, wrapping his arms around Harry, pulling him close.  Harry buried his face into Sirius' shoulder.

'You shouldn't have come, Harry.' Sirius hissed, his voice somewhere between anger at Harry's recklessness, and joy at being able to hold him close once more.

'I'm sorry,' Harry mumbled, his shoulders shaking. 'I couldn't leave you - I _couldn't._'

'Hey,' Sirius rubbed Harry's back gently. 'I'm the one who should be apologising. It's my fault we're in this mess.'

'How very touching,' Voldemort sneered. 'You are either ridiculously brave or ridiculously stupid to risk your life for such a poor excuse for a guardian, Potter.'

Harry's head whipped round, glaring up at the Dark Lord.

'However, you do possess an extremely high level of magical power, that much is clear. To think of the full extent of the powers that you will wield once you have learnt to harness them … why, they may rival even mine.' He laughed coldly.

'Now, Potter, you must see that I have no desire to quash such potential.' A smile twisted his thin mouth. 'Not when it could be directed … channelled, if you will … to aid the continued rise of the Dark Order.

'Light Magic cannot win. It cannot defeat the Dark. It may fight back, but ultimately it will fail. Why continue to fight when you must know in the depths of your soul that you will lose? Failure is death, Potter.

'Choose the winning side, Potter. As I told you before … better to save your own life and join me … or die, begging for mercy…'

'Over my dead body!' Harry snarled.

Voldemort's face darkened. 

'That can be arranged,' he hissed. 'But … I will allow you a chance to reconsider…'

He rose with cat-like grace. The snake in his lap slid to the floor, hissing angrily. Sirius held Harry close to him, both of them scrambling to their feet. Sirius' eyes darted round the Hall. The Death Eaters stationed round the room stood perfectly still, keeping their distance.

Voldemort raised his wand, pointing it at Sirius. Harry jumped back, startled, as Sirius was flung up into the air. He landed scrawled at the Dark Lord's feet, the wind knocked out of him.

Harry held his wand firmly, crouching slightly; ready for the Dark Lord's attack. But it didn't come. 

Voldemort reached down, grabbed Sirius around the throat, pulled him roughly to his feet, and held his wand up against Sirius' chest.

Harry froze.

With a demonic smile, Voldemort commanded, _'Imperio!'_

Sirius' body relaxed. He stood perfectly still, his face blank. He didn't react as Voldemort removed a wand from his robe pocket and placed it in his hands. Slowly, Sirius turned to face Harry. There was no recognition in his dark eyes.

An icy hand seemed to grab hold of Harry's heart at that moment. Fearfully, he took a step back.

'Potter, I give you a simple choice. You may either kill your beloved godfather to save your own life…' Voldemort's eyes gleamed maliciously. 'Or you can die by his hands.'

*

**To Be Continued**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

**_*_**

**Author's Notes**

_BWHAHAHAHA – ack!  *coughs violently* ahem, excuse me, little sinus congestion.  *smirks evilly* _

_Oooh, I'm just asking for a lynch mob here, aren't I?  *looks about nervously*  Er, I didn't mean that literally … what do you think you're doing with that?  Hey, put that pitchfork down!  I didn't mean it!  *gulps and runs off to find a decent hiding place*_

**Elbereth94 – ***Laughs nervously*  Why'd you _think_ I invested in a good hiding place??  *ducks out of sight*

**Evol norgara – **0_0  Oh no!  Don't die on me!  Bloody hell, don't _scare_ me like that!  Hey, find your own hiding place, this one's taken.  ^_^****

**Christy – **Yep, Tia's a bit ticked off about Harry's connection to Sirius, she's pretty possessive.  Glad you liked the chapter!  ^_^

**Evil spapple pie – **I loved writing that chapter.  The spells were a lot of fun! ^_^   True, I doubt a Peter fic would be well received.  He's hardly a favourite, is he?  Although it would be different to have him seen a more sympathetic light for a change; don't see many of them.   In my mind the other Marauders would be a major part, but it would just be told mostly from Peter's POV.  But who knows if I'll _ever_ get round to writing it!  I have several fics planned already!  A Sirius fic, a Remus fic, a Ginny song-fic, another sequel to this one and yet another fic whose details I'll not divulge here!  Jeez, I've got enough to keep me busy for a few years!****

**Von – ***evil cackle*  My weapon of choice; the cliffhanger!  I love using them! ^_^  Aren't I evil?  Sirius attacking Harry?  Whatever gives you that idea?  Sneaked a look in one of Trelawney's crystal balls?  You cheat!  ^_^****


	26. Balance of Power

**Chapter Twenty-six; Balance of Power**

Harry stared fearfully up at his godfather, his heart pounding in his throat. Sirius returned the stare blankly, not moving a muscle.

'Sirius?' Harry whispered, his voice quivering.

Sirius raised his wand. 

_'Stupefy!'_

Harry stumbled backwards. The spell struck the floor at his feet, barely missing him. Slowly, stealthily, Sirius stepped down from the podium, his wand trained on Harry.

_'Sagitta!'_

A swarm of arrows flew through the air, sharp and deadly. Without pausing to think Harry shouted, _'Ignis scutum!'_

A wall of fire erupted around him, flaring outwards. The arrows hit the wall, bursting into flame as the wall fell. A ring of ashes remained scourged into the floor.

Sirius continued his approach.

'Sirius, I don't want to hurt you!' Harry nervously held his wand up, trying desperately to recall a stronger barrier spell.

Voldemort smiled, very much amused. 

'That's a shame, since _he_ wants to hurt _you_.'

Sirius lunged forward, a huge fiery halo surrounding him. He flung it at Harry - the heat of it struck Harry so hard he nearly fell as he bellowed a counter-spell, conjuring a barrier of rushing water, flowing through the air between him and the fire. It hit. The two spells flared out in all directions; blasts of heat and ice cold water intermingled and vanished, cancelling each other out.

Spells flew thick and fast through the air, Harry trying his hardest to conjure a strong enough shield but each attack shattered his efforts, only just powerful enough to deflect the spell. And still Sirius continued his advance. Harry was gradually being driven back, trying to keep a reasonable distance. But if this carried on he'd end up against the wall and then what? He couldn't attack Sirius. He _couldn't._

'Sirius, fight it!' he shouted. 'You _can_ beat the Curse! Throw it off! You don't want to hurt me!'

But still Sirius fired spell after spell, his dark eyes blazing. He was nothing more than Voldemort's puppet, unable to stop. The spells he was using were becoming more powerful, more deadly, and the shields could barely stand up to them.

With no other choice, Harry went on the offensive.

_'Impedimenta!'_

The Jinx blasted through the air. Sirius blocked it without batting an eye.

_'Impedimenta! Stupefy! Impedimenta!'_

Sirius quickly blocked the first two but the third struck. He stumbled, his leg collapsing under him. Harry held his ground. The Impediment Jinx was in no way permanent. Sirius would be back on his feet in a matter of seconds. Harry's head was spinning. What could he do? If he continued to stun Sirius he'd only continue to fight back to the point of exhaustion, and Voldemort was sure to push him beyond that. 

Attacking Sirius was _not_ an option. Harry was not prepared to risk his only real family. But if he didn't, Sirius would kill him and there was nothing he could do stop himself.

Sirius was back on his feet. Taking a deep breath Harry stepped forward, shouting every hex he could think of that would slow Sirius down.

With expert precision, Sirius deflected each spell in turn. But as Harry cast another Impediment Jinx, Sirius, instead of blocking it, reflected the spell. It bounced back. Too late Harry tried to fling himself out of the way; the spell struck his legs, all the feeling in them vanished in an instant. They'd gone completely numb. As he fell, his wand slipped from his grasp. It rolled just out of reach.

Panicking, Harry tried to drag himself forward, stretching out his hand to grab it.

_'Impedimenta!'_

Harry's arm went numb. Helplessly, he lifted his head. Sirius was standing over him with his wand aimed directly at Harry's heart.

'You can not win, Potter,' said Voldemort coolly. 'Do you yield?'

'Never!' Harry spat, straining to reach his wand with his other hand. It was a mere inch out of reach and he couldn't move any closer, his legs would not respond.

Voldemort heaved a dramatic sigh.

'If that is your answer…' He smiled coldly at Sirius. 'Then I suggest you bid farewell to your beloved godfather.'

Shaking with fear, Harry met his godfather's hollow stare.

Something flickered in Sirius' eyes. His face twitched. His arm shook slightly, the wands aim wavering. Harry's heart thudded painfully fast in his chest. Sirius' body shuddered violently, a familiar blaze sparking in his eyes. But the Dark Lord roared, 'Destroy him!' and Sirius obeyed, shouting out a deadly curse.

A blinding flash of scarlet light erupted from his wand - Harry screwed his eyes shut, the light blazing through his eyelids, bracing himself. There was an alarming, deafeningly loud crack followed by an explosion of dazzling white light. 

For a moment Harry lay still, wondering if he was dead. Was this what it felt like to be dead? His legs didn't even feel numb anymore, the feeling had returned … 

His brain suddenly caught up with the fact that he _wasn't_ dead. He wasn't even hurt. Eyes snapping open, Harry was stunned to find a glowing haze of beautiful golden light swirling around him. A warm glow was shining from underneath his robes. Harry reached a hand down the neck of his robes and drew out the talisman.

The talisman felt as light as air; the jewel had turned from jet black to a fiery scarlet, shining with a strange inner light.

A roar of fury tore through the air; jerking his head up, Harry could see Voldemort's evil face screwed up with anger and frustration.

With renewed strength, Harry leapt to his feet.  The talisman flared briefly as the light drew back towards it, fading slightly as warmth flowed back into Harry's body. The only feeling that echoed this sensation was that which came with phoenix song. For a moment he could almost hear it, lending him strength … courage…

Voldemort screamed at Sirius to attack.  In spite of his efforts to fight the Curse off, Sirius obeyed. The curse flew straight at Harry … and was engulfed as the talisman emitted a brilliant flare of pure white light, slashing through the air in front of him.  

Harry grinned broadly with relief. He didn't quite understand how this had happened but he certainly understood the look of fear that flickered across the Dark Lord's face.

BOOM!

The doors of the Great Hall shuddered as something slammed against them.

BOOM! _BOOM!_

The Death Eaters nearest the doors started backing away slowly. Then both the doors were forced open, slamming against the walls before bouncing back.

A gigantic werewolf came hurtling through the doorway, snarling ferociously as it bolted across the Hall and skidded to a halt beside Harry, seemingly un-surprised at the mysterious glow that surrounded him. Upon his back rode Ron and Hermione. They leapt off the wolf's back, wands ready, faces set, and moving swiftly to stand on either side of Harry. The werewolf took a cautious step towards Sirius.

'He's under the Imperious Curse,' Harry hissed urgently. 'He can't throw it off.'

'Harry, you know you're crazy, right?' Ron whispered. 'Coming down here on your own?'

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'Did I?'

Voldemort swept down from the podium, his cloak flaring out behind him like the wings of a dragon.

'Enough of this!' He roared. 'You _dare_ to defy me? Do you honestly think you even have a _chance_ of winning?' He laughed sadistically, turning to the Death Eaters. 'Kill them!' 

Ron, Hermione, and Remus braced themselves for the assault.

Nothing happened.

Not one of the Death Eaters had moved.

Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously. He looked beside himself with fury.

'Did you not hear me? _Kill them!'_

One Death Eater stepped forward. He reached up to his hood and let it fall back.

It was Neville Longbottom.

Ron and Hermione stared as each of the Death Eaters drew back their hoods. The Gryffindors emerged as one from the shadows, their wands aimed at the Dark Lord.

Voldemort's scarlet eyes darted from one to the next, the truth dawning on him. Tia had all but disappeared into the shadows behind the throne, cowering there. Voldemort turned to Sirius, raising his wand -

_'EXPELLIARMUS!'_

The combined efforts of all the Gryffindors together blasted the Dark Lord off his feet with such force that he hit the back wall with a sickening, bone-crunching thud! He slid down the wall, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Sirius' eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. Harry made to run to his godfather but Ron and Hermione grabbed his arms, holding him back.

'Wait! It could be a trick.' Hermione warned before Harry could throw them off.

Nevertheless, Remus raced past them to Sirius.  He circled his friend from a short distance, trying to detect any sign of movement.  Moving in swiftly Remus cautiously nudging Sirius with his muzzle, barking softly in his ear. There was no response. 

There was a flurry of movement to their left; Professor Torr came running out of the shadows.  Harry raised his wand.

'Don't move!' he shouted.

Professor Torr paid no heed.  She dropped to the floor beside Sirius, frantically feeling his neck.  

Remus let out a warning snarl, but made no more to attack her as she drew her wand.  An incantation passed her lips and a shower of rose coloured dust flew from her wand.

Remus' ears pricked up.  He leaned over, shoved Sirius' shoulder hard and gave a loud bark.

Harry could have cheered as Sirius slowly sat up.  Looking about, his face broke into a relieved smile as he saw his friend, but it faded to a confused frown as he realised that Professor Torr was also on the floor next to him.  Her face split into an adoring smile.  Sirius scooted backwards into Remus who let out another snarl, a clear 'Keep away' warning.

A sudden glare of poisonous green light flared out from the podium. In a blaze of black fire Voldemort rose into the air, his power radiating from him in a despairing wave of darkness.

Everyone drew back as fear gripped them; except Remus who moved to stand over Sirius, shielding him, growling with his hackles raised. 

Voldemort's terrible face turned to Professor Torr.

'You insignificant fool,' he hissed.  'You dare to betray me?'

He flung her across the room with a furious sweep of his wand.  She scrawled on the floor, shrieking in fright and pain.

'You deserve to die,'

'No!' Professor Torr frantically scrambled to her feet.

Voldemort pointed his wand at her and a howling wind roared through the Hall, whipping her robes, cloak and hair.  Harry, Ron and Hermione were rooted to the spot as their professor began to change.

Her long, shiny dark hair faded to a dull brown, thin and lank.  Her face changed shape, her eyes darkening.  Her slender figure gave way to a thin and shapeless body.  A plain and very frightened looking woman stood where their professor had been.  She stared at her hands, then felt her face and hair, her mouth open in a gasp of mounting panic.  Breaking down in tears, she moaned softly, 'No … oh God no …'

A hideous, lipless smile graced the Dark Lords face.

'But you deserve humiliation so much more,' he cackled before turning to the Gryffindors, Sirius and Remus.  'And now for the rest of you – _You_ shall die.'

Voldemort threw back his head, screaming an ancient language long forgotten by any other wizard living. The snake that lay on the podium writhed as though in pain, hissing angrily. She began to grow, larger and larger. Within seconds she was the size of the Basilisk Harry had faced in Slytherin's secret chamber.

Voldemort strode forward, shouting in Parseltongue. _'Kill them! Kill everyone in this room! Kill them all!'_

Nagini slithered off the podium, her monstrous body moving with incredible speed towards her closest targets; Remus and Sirius.

Remus growled more loudly still, baring his teeth, preparing to spring. Sirius had frozen, staring wide-eyed as Nagini hissed menacingly, raising her ugly triangular head about to strike.

_'VULNUS!'_

A jet of blue light slammed into the snake's blunt snout.  Nagini jerked back, spitting in pain.

'Get away from him!' Tia aimed her wand with a shaking hand but her voice was loud and clear.  Nagini turned to face her as she fired another hex.

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared, dumbfounded, as the woman threw a furious glare over her shoulder at them.

'Well, what are you standing there for?' she shouted.

Harry raised his wand.

_'Attack!'_

At his command, the Gryffindors around the Hall snapped out of their reverie and into action.

_'STUPEFY!'_  they roared.

Jets of red light soared through the air, striking Nagini all along her body. She thrashed violently, spitting in anger. But the spells didn't seem to have any effect.

Sirius transformed into the great black dog, turned and bolted, Remus at his side.  As soon as they were out of range of the snake, Tia broke away from the fight.

'Here!'

A wand was thrown through the air.  The dog leapt and caught it neatly in his jaws.  In an instant, Sirius transformed again, spun round and bellowed _'Fulguritus!'_

A gigantic bolt of lightning flashed through the air with a deafening crack.  Nagini shied away, dropping her head lower.

The Weasley twins rushed forward, flicking their wands sharply; two lassos of orange light flew out, looping around the snakes' snout.  But before they could pull it tight, the snakes' tail came swinging towards them. It struck George hard in the chest, sending him flying. Fred ducked as the tail came whipping lethally over his head.

Harry frantically searched the Hall for a sign of his godfather.  He caught sight of Sirius by the right hand wall firing spells at the snake's eyes.

The woman he knew as Professor Torr was beside him, helping them fight.  Just whose side was she on?

'Harry!'

Harry turned just as Ron and Hermione cast the Impediment Jinx.  Harry quickly did the same; the three spells striking the snake on her upper body.

Stunning and Paralysis Spells flew thick and fast through the air, each of them hitting their mark but to no avail. Not one made any impact on the snake except to enrage her further.  The jets of light were disorienting her if nothing else; she didn't seem able to focus on a single target.

Tia suddenly rushed forward, Sirius at her side.  Harry watched in horror as they both ran straight up to the snake.  Thrusting their wands through the gaps between the scales, they shouted _'Glacare!'_

Sheets of ice spread rapidly over the scales, crackling as the snake writhed.

To Harry's amazement, the snake seemed to have been rendered completely exhausted in an instant.  Her movements were sluggish and laboured.  But it didn't make her fangs any less dangerous.  Finally discovering a target in close proximity, she lunged for Sirius.

In a flash of silver-grey fur, the werewolf dove past his friend and leapt upon the snakes' body, clawing furiously into the scales.  Nagini missed Sirius as he threw himself out of the way, rolling back onto his feet and casting a Shield Charm as she swung her head round.

'They're cold blooded!' Tia bellowed.  'Use freezing charms!'

But this new strategy was thwarted almost instantly – a roar of fire rang out, a blast of intense heat blasting through the air.  Voldemort stepped forward, his wand held high, sending hundreds of fireballs raining down upon their heads.  Screams and shouts rent the air as people fell.  Clouds of ash exploding all around them.

Unable to see, Harry covered his face, grabbed Ron and Hermione by their robes and tried to pull them towards the walls.  A huge ball of flame struck the floor at his feet, throwing him off balance.  Ginny appeared out of the ashen cloud, covering her head with her arms, shrieking in terror.  Ron grabbed her, pulling her to him.

Rearing high into the air, Nagini twisted round lunged for the wolf; fast as blinking Remus jumped up and over the snake's head, landing awkwardly but immediately sinking his teeth into the snake, ripping and tearing at the back of her head. 

Then with a sudden violent thrash of her tail, Nagini caught Remus a glancing blow; he tumbled off her back, yelping in pain as he hit the floor. He scrambled frantically to avoid the fireballs falling all around him, but his foreleg wouldn't support him. It was broken. Nagini drew her head back, preparing to strike -

_'NO! STOP!'_

At once, everything, everyone, froze.  The torrent of fireballs ceased.  A strange but tense silence fell.

Slowly, Nagini turned to the one who had spoken. 

Harry, shaking with a combination of fear and excitement, stepped away from the others, hissing.

_'Leave him.'_

The huge snake swiftly drew back from the werewolf, her gleaming eyes fixed unblinkingly on Harry.

_'What are you doing?_' Voldemort roared, his eyes wide with astonishment. _'I said kill them!'_

As Nagini wavered, Harry hissed, _'Don't. Don't harm them.'_ Stepping forward he added, _'Please.'_

The snake reared up, her head almost high enough to brush the enchanted ceiling. Looking very confused her gaze shifted between the two Parselmouths, unsure of what to do. Everyone else stood very, very still, not wanting to draw the snake's attention.

_'Kill them, I say!'_

_'No! Don't! Leave them. Don't harm them.'_

Bewildered, the snake's head swayed drunkenly, first towards the Gryffindors, then drawing back, then edging forward again.

_'Nagini,'_ Voldemort hissed. _'Look at me!'_ Obediently, the snake turned. 'I _am your Master! You obey me and _only _me! Kill the boy! Now!'_

Nagini swiftly twisted her long body round, slithering past the Gryffindors, firmly ignoring them in her haste to follow her instructions.

Harry stood perfectly still. Then, when Nagini was just within striking distance, he raised his wand above his head.

A shower of blue sparks flew into the air, raining down over Harry in a glowing haze. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny backed up as the light swallowed Harry up - Nagini shied away, the light almost blinding.

The light faded into nothing. A collective gasp echoed round the Hall. Where Harry had been now stood a tall, hooded figure, skin bone-white, a snake-like face with blood red eyes. A mirror image of the Dark Lord.

Ron's mouth fell open. Hermione grabbed Ginny to steady her before she fell over with shock.

Nagini simply stared, frozen with puzzlement.

_'Master?'_ she hissed uncertainly.

Harry's hissing voice came from the pseudo-Dark Lords mouth, strangely calm.

_'Nagini, please listen, do not attack me.'_

_'Then who? The humans? The wolf?'_

_'I do not wish for you to attack _any_ of them. Leave them, please.'_

The entire room seemed to be holding its breath as Nagini lowered her head, laying it at Harry's feet. Slowly, Harry reached out a hand, giving her a pat on the snout. She closed her eyes, hissing contentedly.

_'Thank you,'_ he hissed.

Voldemort's rage broke over them all.

_'What are you doing! I am your Master! When I tell you to kill, I EXPECT YOU TO DO IT!'_ he roared, breathing heavily, his eyes bulging.

Nagini opened her eyes lazily, almost ignoring him but her hissing had taken on a clear tone of annoyance. Harry continued to stroke her snout.

_'Why do you put up with that?'_ he whispered. _'You shouldn't have to take that kind of treatment.'_

Nagini looked round at Voldemort, her eyes narrowed. She moved swiftly towards him, her forked tongue flicking in and out excitedly. If it were possible, Voldemort actually went a little paler than before.

_'Stop!'_ he ordered.

The snake kept coming.

_'I said stop!'_

Swiftly, silently, the rest of the Gryffindors backed away from the snake, moving closer to Harry. Remus, struggling to stand on three legs, limped out of the way of the snake's gigantic coils.  Sirius moved swiftly across the Hall to help him, keeping his wand aimed at the snake.

_'No! I ORDER YOU TO STOP!'_

Nagini lunged - mouth open wide - fangs gleaming - a horrendous scream sliced through the air -

At that moment, the pseudo-Dark Lord's form shimmered, blurring - the illusion fell to reveal Harry, looking stunned at what he'd just done. 

Nagini froze, then withdrew, cowering. Voldemort, barely able to stand, was covered in blood mixed with snake venom, his robes soaked through. Despite being horrible weakened, he managed to stand and cast a powerful series of spells; Nagini shrank to half her size; dragon wings burst forth from her body and she moved up against her Master as he levitated himself up onto her back. Turning his terrible face to Harry, Voldemort flashed him a nasty smile.

'You have not seen the last of me, Harry Potter. We will meet again … and next time you will not be so lucky.'

The back wall of the Great Hall exploded inwards; a cloud of dust and rubble choking the air. Through the dust, dark figures emerged, slowly and steadily marching inside. A wave of coldness washed over them all … white fog started to obscure their vision … faint screaming reached Harry's ears, coming from the depths of his darkest memories.

With a powerful stroke of her wings, Nagini rose into the air, disappearing into the dust cloud, taking her wounded Master with her.

The Dementors swarmed into the Great Hall, closing in on the Gryffindors. A few had already fallen to their knees as the fear took hold of their minds. Harry was about to summon the happiest thought he could think of, when he froze, his heart leaping right up into his throat.

_Sirius!_

His godfather was frozen in abject terror as a Dementor bore down upon him and Remus.  Remus swayed, his eyes drooping. His legs went out from under him as he passed out. The Dementor passed by the wolf, reaching with its clammy, rotted hands, encircling Sirius' throat, forcing his face up. Blinking through the white fog that was clouding his eyes, Harry's vision cleared just enough to see a pair of blank, empty eye sockets and the huge, shapeless, fathomless mouth before its jaws fastened over Sirius' mouth.

*

**To Be Continued!**

*

**_Please review_**

**_All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

*****

**Authors Notes**

_*Voltora peers out of her hiding place, gulps and ducks out of sight again* I am _not_ coming out until you put those flaming torches out and put down those pitchforks!  You could take someone's eye out with those things!  Namely mine!_

**Elebereth94 – ***Voltora dives back into her hiding place and refuses to come out*  What have I done?  Um … *gulps* … er … I – I was under the Imperious Curse!  Yeah, the Dark Forces made me do it!  *assumes an innocent posture*   Hey, I do love Sirius as much as the next rabid fan – you think I _like_ torturing him like this?  *pauses*  Yeah, okay, I'll admit it's fun but that's only because I'm the author … I totally understand your pain, believe me!  A good fic for Sirius fans is anything by PAR, although I personally love 'Family Life'.  Highly recommended if you don't mind the occasional heart attack and screaming fits brought on by the Sirius-torture throughout.  ^_^****

**Evol norgara – **Tia's insane, you're insane, _I'm _insane … is there anyone around here who isn't?  LOL.  Poor Harry, he never seems to get the ordinary, teenager-type problems; it's always consists of 'My godfather is an escaped convicted murderer, I live in a world where nothing is ever what you first assume it to be and I've got a psychotic loony bent on world domination who wants to kill me.'    You just want to give him zits or a cheating girlfriend to make him feel like he's normal!  ^_^    Maybe he would appreciate the pie.  Or the cake if you have any more.****

**Evil spapple pie – **I can see that pitchfork, pie!  *Voltora wisely keeps her distance*  Actually I did have Tia killed in the original version.  Nagini gobbled her up during the fight. *evil cackle*  But she needs to hang around for a little while longer this time.   Yes, the Peter fic is definably at the very bottom of the pile.  The idea's just there in case I completely run out of other ideas for fics.  Considering I've got about half a dozen planned, I doubt a Peter fic is going to show up anytime soon.  Still, it'd be a challenge to write one, wouldn't it? ****

**Christy – **Yay!  It's 'evil'!  Just what I was hoping for.  ^_^  *sigh*  The fic is nearly at it's end. *sob* But then I'll be able to write a sequel at some point so it's not so bad.  ****

**Lil Lupin – **I feel terrible torturing him!  Honest!  If you're referring to the Sirius fic too, I feel down right evil.  But he's such a cool character to have in those situations!  *evil cackle*  No one likes to see him hurt but it makes for a great fic. How many fics do I have planned?  Um … *thinks hard*  At least five, including the Sirius fic.  I don't know how I'm going to find the time to get through them all … oh, wait, yes I do – I can learn to like coffee and discover that there _is_ such a time as 3 a.m.  ^_^  *goes to put the kettle on*****

**Von – **Ah ha!  Surprised you then, did I?  Yay me!  And yes, Tia / Allison is pretty deranged. *rotates a finger by the side of her head*  Slightly cuckoo.  Insane in the membrane.  Mad as a Hatter and all that.  ^_^

**MorganD** – There you are!!  *gives Morgan a hug*   I was wondering where you'd disappeared off to.  Glad to have you back!  I've only read the first chapter of 'Hogwarts Letters', I do intend to read a bit more when I get some time – probably once I finish off another chapter of my next project; been quite busy lately.

*Grimaces and promptly bashes head on the keyboard, muttering a few rude words to herself*  Yeah, Hermione did mean 'Don't worry,'  *shakes head in utter disbelief*  HOW?  How did I miss that??  I won't put any blame on my Beta (well, not much anyway ^_^  )  but I just don't know how some of these stupid mistakes keep being missed.   *bashes head on keyboard again*

I needed to change the perspective angle because I couldn't figure out how Harry would be able to uncover most of the plot elements.  And it was fun to use the other characters.  ^_^  

Okay, Sirius acting like a zombie – notice the part when Tia forces him to look into her eyes and 'an indescribable calm washed over him' ?  Poor guy lost the will to fight; being pretty confused he wasn't thinking too clearly.  Whenever Tia is close by he can't help but think about how beautiful she is, how much he adores her, etc  etc– that's the Passion spell bit.  The Obedience spell she mentions just adds to her control over him and the Confundus Charm tops it off by totally muddling his mind; he can't recall everything that Tia does when they're together so he doesn't know for sure what she's been up to.   *looks back over the last paragraph*  Did that make much sense?  Any at all?   Sorry, I'm not the greatest of explainers.  But in the end it wasn't solely passion or love that was to blame for Sirius' behaviour.  Tia still loves him – in a very twisted manner – and she wanted to get him back.  

Oh and Sirius suddenly returning to normal in the Great Hall?  He got hit with the Cruciatus Curse which overpowered the effects of the other spells thus he could start to think rationally again.  

Hhm, no actually, I haven't read anything by Tymothy Zahn – never even heard of him to be honest.  That line is oddly similar though.  Good author is he?    Sirius told Tia that because he came to the conclusion that he was dealing with a mentally unstable woman and honestly wanted to help, as well as trying not to upset her or make her angry.  You don't want crazy people mad at you; they tend to be unpredictable.  He wants to help because he's a nice guy!  He's not heartless.  (Okay, with the exception of situations with Pettigrew but I'm sure we can all forgive him for that.)

You'd like to see a Peter fic?  Hey about that?  Two votes for it!  I'll have to give it a chance after all.  ^_^****


	27. All For You

**Chapter Twenty Seven; All For You**

_'EXPECTO PATRONUM!'_

In a dazzling burst of light, Harry's Patronus erupted into being; the silver stag charging straight at the Dementors, running on air.

Recoiling from the light, the Dementors were driven back. The stag lowered its antlers, lunging at the tall, sinister creature that held Sirius in its clutches.  It released its prey with a spine-shivering shriek, fleeing from the Patronus. The stag sprang over Sirius as he slumped to the floor, completely still.

The penetrating cold left with the Dementors as the beautiful animal herded them back outside, leaving a floating silver mist in its wake.

The moment the last of them had vanished into the lingering cloud of dust, Harry ran to his godfather's side. 

Sirius lay motionless. It didn't look like he was breathing. Harry frantically felt his wrist and then his neck, searching for a pulse. His skin was as cold as ice.  Harry could have wept with relief as he felt the throb of pulse. It was faint, but it was there.

Hermione and Ron dropped down beside them, both of them as pale as death. Harry quickly waved his wand up and down the length of Sirius' body, chanting a healing spell. A soft pink dust floated down from the wand tip, glowing faintly as it was absorbed into his body. Harry watched anxiously, his breathing fast and shallow. 

When nothing happened he tried it again. And again.

Hermione took hold of Harry's arm.

'Harry-'

He shook her off angrily, repeating the spell loudly, _willing _it to work.  How long did it take for a Dementor to suck somebody's soul?  A few seconds?  A minute?  Five?   Sirius' lack of response was scaring Harry to the point where he could barely draw breath, desperately repeating the only healing spell he knew.

Hermione looked helplessly over at Ron who was rummaging frantically through his pockets.

'Harry, here, try this,' he said.

Harry tore his eyes away from Sirius. Ron held out his hand. Resting in his palm, was a rose quartz, the one Ginny had given Harry on his birthday. Harry stared at it. 

'Would that be strong enough?' he asked breathlessly, a faint spark of hope kindling in his eyes.

'Maybe,' said Ron, 'if we were to use it together…'

The three of them each laid a hand on the rose quartz, holding it over Sirius.

'Concentrate,' said Ron, closing his eyes. 'You've _got _to clear your mind of all negative thoughts … think of anything happy, that'll trigger the stone's power…'

Harry shut his eyes tight. Hard as it was, he focused on blocking out the fear … the pain … the doubts…

He opened his eyes a little. Ron and Hermione both had their eyes closed but nothing was happening. 

No. This _wasn't _happening. It couldn't be! Harry squeezed his eyes shut again. Sirius can't have lost his soul. He _can't _have. This wasn't fair! He was the only family Harry had. If Sirius … well, who else was there in Harry's life that truly cared about him in the way that Sirius did? Like a parent.

The look on Sirius' face when Harry told him that he wanted to move in with him after they'd first met. That wonderful smile and the joyous look in his eyes…

The letters that passed between them during that summer. Each one gave Harry an indescribable feeling as he opened them … to know that he had a family out there who truly cared about what happened to him … who loved him.

Last year Sirius had risked being captured just so that he would be close enough to help Harry if he was needed.

_'What're you doing here, Sirius?'_

_'Fulfilling my duty as godfather.'_

Harry's first birthday party. The first thing he could remember was Sirius giving him a hug the moment he'd entered the room, wishing him a happy fifteenth birthday.

And what about the wish? Harry's birthday wish. If Sirius left Harry now then that wish would never have a chance of coming true.

_You can't leave me Sirius. I made a wish. I wished that you would be proved innocent one day, that you'd never go back to Azkaban. That you'd be allowed to take care of me like you wanted. If you leave me now, it can never happen. You can't go Sirius. I won't let you!_

Gripping the rose quartz tightly he felt a sudden rush of heat. He opened his eyes. The quartz was glowing with an inner light, getting brighter all the time.

Ron and Hermione gasped in amazement. The three of them held on as the light poured out of the stone in a shimmering cascade of colour, covering Sirius completely. The light turned a blinding white - Harry looked away as it flared, filling the entire Hall -

Then it was gone.

Harry put a hand over his eyes; he could hardly see a thing, just a few shadows awash with light. He rubbed them, blinking hard, feeling extremely light-headed.

'Harry?'

Harry turned to the sound of his name. A dim shadow swam into his hazy vision, right in front of him.

Two strong arms wrapped around his thin frame, pulling him close. Harry reached up, practically falling over as relief, joy and a hundred other emotions passed in an instant between godfather and godson.

'I thought you'd gone,' Harry whispered, so quietly he wasn't sure if he'd said it out loud.

Sirius laughed softly in his ear. 'I'm not going anywhere, Harry. I'd never leave you, I promise.'

For the first time in a long while, Harry smiled, blissfully content in his godfather's arms.

*

Some time later, the entire group was confined to the Hospital Wing; gratefully resting while Madam Pomfrey fussed over them all. All the staff had been woken and released from their dungeon prison. As none had been seriously hurt they'd immediately taken control of the situation; something the Gryffindors were only too happy to hand over.

Professor Dumbledore had allowed Madam Pomfrey to check him over and was soon declared fit and well. The attack had left him with no permanent damage, much to everyone's relief. He and the rest of the staff were now proceeding to check on the other students, notify families and the Ministry, and evaluate the damage done to the castle and grounds.

On one side of the ward, Luke was shifting restlessly in his bed, complaining that he was too worked up to go to sleep. Phoebe was busy braiding Ginny's hair. Neville was in the bed opposite, right next to Fred and George who were re-enacting some of their attacks on Nagini although with much more dramatic flare than the battle had warranted. George kept insisting that he'd meant to get three broken ribs trying to ensnare the serpent. Fred rolled his eyes repeatedly behind his twin's back, Katie and Alicia giggling behind them.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sat together on another of the beds talking while Madam Pomfrey was busy checking Sirius over further up the ward. Next to Sirius, Remus lay curled up on his bed, his left foreleg bound up in a temporary splint. When the moon set and he transformed back to human, the bone would heal as best it could, then Madam Pomfrey would be able to heal it properly.

'Harry, I still don't quite understand what happened,' said Ron. 'I mean, I do understand you using Parseltongue to stop that bloody great snake from biting our heads off, but what was with you turning into the Dark Lord?'

Harry laughed. 

'I didn't 'turn into' Voldemort, it was just an illusion.  As far as Nagini was concerned, I looked like her master and I spoke Parseltongue, therefore she would do whatever I asked of her.'

'You told her to attack the Dark Lord?'

'No, all I did was suggest that she didn't take orders from someone who didn't ask politely,' said Harry slyly.  'It's not my fault she took that as 'Go eat him'.'

'I'm not complaining Harry, I'm just thinking it's a shame she didn't swallow him whole.' 

'But where did you learn how to do something like that?' asked Hermione.

'What?  You didn't think I'd read that book you gave me for my birthday?  _Illusions made Easy_?  Very good book.'

Hermione's expression changed from confusion to surprise.

'Well, it's just that you never said anything about it.'

'I need more practise, none of them last very long.  I wasn't sure if I could manage a really good one.  I started reading up on them after we broke into Professor Torr's office and found that mirror illusion.'

Ron shifted uncomfortably.

'So … what's going to happen to her now?  Whoever she is.'

They glanced up the ward.  Their professor was sat on the edge of her bed at the very end of the ward, her head bowed, her hands twisting in her lap.  Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore slowly approached.  She gave a start as Madam Pomfrey laid a hand on her shoulder.  Dumbledore sat down on the bed opposite, speaking softly to the scared young woman.

From across the room, Sirius lay watching them.

Hermione looked at Harry's sombre face.

'Harry, just go talk to him,' she said gently.

Slowly, Harry got off the bed, gave Hermione a small smile of thanks and set off across the ward.

'Do you think Sirius still likes her?' asked Ron.

Hermione shrugged.

'No idea.  It's hard to tell what people really feel.  They don't always mean what they say or do.' She avoided Ron's eyes as she spoke.

Ron hesitated, took a deep breath, then said quietly, 'Hermione, about when I kissed you.  I know it was probably that perfume stuff going straight to my head, but - '

'No, no,' said Hermione hastily, her eyes downcast.  'I understand.  If you didn't mean to then it doesn't matter.  That's fine.  It's not like you knew what you were doing.'

Ron stared at her, speechless.  Hermione blinked furiously, her long hair falling down around her face.

Slowly, Ron reached over and took hold of her hand.

'Hermione?  Will you let me finish?'

She raised her head, gazing at him with watery eyes.  Ron gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

'Hermione, maybe it was the perfume talking the first time and I know I should have said something about it, but … I don't think that it … meant nothing.  And … er … I'm not under the influence of anything right now, so …'

Ron leaned over and kissed a very surprised Hermione on the cheek.

'You don't know how long I've been wanting to do that,' he mumbled quickly with a shaky smile.

Hermione stared at him, her eyes wide.  Ron nervously cleared his throat.

'There's one more Hogsmeade weekend before the end of term, you know.  D'you want to … er … I dunno … come have some ice cream or something with me?'

He felt his cheeks burn as Hermione suddenly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, her face glowing as she moved up to sit beside him.

'I'd love to.'

On the other side of the ward, Harry cautiously approached his godfather.  He didn't have any idea of what he was going to say.  Sirius turned as he sensed Harry standing there.  He didn't say a word; he simply got off the bed and wrapped his arms around his godson.  Harry happily returned the hug.

When they broke apart, they both cast a glance across the room.  Allison was watching them, her dark eyes hollow and expressionless.  Dumbledore, who was quietly explaining something to her, diverted her attention.

'Harry, I owe you an apology,' said Sirius softly.

'No, you don't.' said Harry, knowing what Sirius was going to apologise for.  'You didn't know what you were doing.'

Sirius' eyes were reproachful.

'Yes, I do,' he said firmly.  'Madam Pomfrey gave me a memory revival potion; I can remember everything that I did … and exactly what I said to you.  I don't have an excuse for how I treated you, Harry, and I don't want you to act like none of it mattered to you.'

Harry looked into Sirius' face, not liking the bitter sound of his voice.

'I broke my promise to you – I didn't act like I cared about you at all.  I wasn't there when you needed me.  I made the terrible mistake of allowing someone else to come between us and that should never have happened.  You have done nothing to deserve that kind of negligence … especially from someone who swore they'd do their best to take care of you.'

Sirius sounded so ashamed and angry that Harry felt his stomach clench.

'And to top it off, you knew about Allie and tried to warn me … and I didn't believe you.  I didn't trust my own godson.'

Sirius closed his eyes.

'Harry, I more than owe you an apology … you deserve someone who is capable of being a suitable guardian, someone who can fulfil a promise … because it certainly isn't me,' he whispered bitterly.

Harry's jaw fell open in horror.

'Don't say that, Sirius,' he said, his voice wavering.  'You don't mean that.'

'Don't I?' Sirius didn't look at him.  'When have I ever shown that I could be a decent parent?'

Harry couldn't believe he was hearing this.  For a few seconds he said nothing.  Then,

'You did everything you could to protect me and my parents when Voldemort was after us,' he said softly.  'After they were killed you gave Hagrid your motorbike to get me to safety after arguing with him, trying to convince him to let you take me.  You broke out of Azkaban when you knew I was in danger.  Even though you could have been captured or given a Dementors Kiss, you still came just to watch me play Quidditch before I even knew you were innocent.  You sent me a wonderful gift that I cherish when you're not around.  You could have stayed abroad where it's sunny and warm but you came back and lived off rats for God knows how long, sleeping in a dank cave for months, just so that you could be close to where I was.  You came to my birthday party and even though you're still wanted by the Ministry; you've never hesitated to risk your life and your freedom … all because of me.

'You say you made a mistake – big deal, so does everybody else.  No one has _ever_ shown me how much they care about me the way you have.'

Sirius was staring at Harry, utterly speechless.  Harry could feel tears stinging his eyes but made no effort to stop them from falling.

'I think you're a wonderful parent, Sirius.  I don't want anybody else.'

For a few moments neither of them said a word.  Then Sirius gently drew Harry close and held him like he never intended to let him go.  

It was a long time before they finally drew apart.  Sirius' face was wet with tears but his face shone with a blissful smile.

It was a few seconds before they both noticed that Professor Dumbledore had come over.

'I thought that you might appreciate knowing what has been arranged for Miss DeVice,' he said. 

'What's going to happen to her?' asked Harry.

'She is to be committed to St. Mungo's, where she will receive treatment and care, and hopefully be rehabilitated.'

'She's mentally ill, Harry,' said Sirius sadly.  He looked over at Allison.  She was gazing blankly at the wall, sitting perfectly still.  'I hope she'll be okay,' he added quietly.

Harry decided to ask the question that had been dogging him for a long time.

'Sirius?  Do you really love her?  Love spells aside, I mean.'

Sirius sighed, shaking his head.

'I'm not sure what I feel, Harry, to be honest.  I know I used to feel something for her, when we were younger.  I really cared about her but she started taking it too far.  I suppose Moony told you what happened?'

Harry nodded.

'Then you know why we broke up in the first place.  But I guess even after all this time she still can't accept the truth, that I don't think of her that way anymore.  That's not to say I don't care what happens to her, but it's hard to fully comprehend why anyone would think it's okay to force someone into a relationship.  She deliberately lied and tried to keep me away from everyone I really cared about … just like she did before.'

'She must have really loved you,' said Harry quietly.

'I don't know if love is the word to use for what she feels.  Allison took it beyond obsession and she needs some help.'

Harry agreed.

'Don't blame her for not wanting to share, though,' he said, smiling up at his godfather.  'And she did help save your life and fight Nagini … I think that earns her a few points in my book.'

'You think so?'

Harry nodded.

'Her methods were pretty twisted, but I guess when it came down to it, she cared enough to help us.'

Dumbledore smiled.

'She'll have the best doctors at St Mungo's helping her.  She is by no means a lost cause.  She may find redemption yet.'

Allison once again drew Sirius' gaze.  She was watching him and his godson, her face streaked with dry tears.  An expression of bitter jealousy tainted her pretty features, her eyes full of longing.  Though it pained him to do so, Sirius turned away, refusing to acknowledge her.

_The sooner she accepts the truth, the better_ he thought firmly.  _It's not fair on either of us if she believes we can still be together._

Harry happened to look back over his shoulder at that moment and his face spilt into a grin.

'I knew it,' he said, sounding very satisfied.

'Knew what?'

Harry nodded in the direction of Ron and Hermione.  Sirius took a quick glance and smiled.

'I knew there was something going on,' said Harry.  'They've been acting weird around each other for ages.  I was starting to think they'd never get together.'

'Best of luck to them, I say,' said Sirius, almost wistfully.

At that moment, Professor Dumbledore called everyone's attention.  He proceeded to inform them all that most of the Death Eaters had fled, eluding capture; the Dementors had vanished and, of course, the Dark Lord himself was no where to be found.

'However, we _have_ rounded up all the Death Eaters that you were able to apprehend,' said Dumbledore. 'The Ministry has been notified and are on their way.'

Harry spoke up. 

'But what about Sirius? If they find him here -'

'I can assure you Mr Potter that none of the Ministry officials will be permitted to step foot inside the Hospital Wing. They will not know he's here.'

'I should think not,' said Madam Pomfrey briskly, striding up the ward to Ron and Hermione.  She firmly directed Ron to the next bed, gesturing for Hermione to stay where she was and lay down.  Reluctantly, they separated.  'I will not have anyone disturbing my patients.  They need peace and quiet.'

'Yes, of course, Poppy. I'll not keep them much longer.'

He turned to look round at them all.

'I must express my eternal gratitude to you all. Each of you has shown courage and loyalty that is above and beyond anything that could be expected of you.

'You worked together as a team, depending on one another for support, both moral and magical.' His blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles. 'Young as you are, I feel that it would be improper if I did not present you with this opportunity.'****

The Gryffindors exchanged blank looks, leaning forward with interest to listen. Harry looked over his shoulder at Sirius but his godfather's face told him nothing. He turned back to Dumbledore.

'As you have seen for yourselves, the Dark Order has indeed been gathering strength, determined to seize control of the magical community in any way that it can.

'But ever since the initial rise of the Dark Lord, there has been a resistance. A group of witches and wizards who, like yourselves, have risked their lives again and again to slow the spread of the Dark … to stop Voldemort from fulfilling his plans.

'I have been responsible for this group's activities ever since it came into being. We are known as the Order of the Phoenix, a society of those of who have allied themselves against the Dark forces that threaten to engulf our world and that of the Muggle world … people who stand up for what they believe in and to help in any way that they can as practitioners of Light Magic.

'Under normal circumstances, we do not tend to allow those who are under the age of eighteen to join us, but these are not normal circumstances. So I will offer each and every one of you the opportunity to be a part of the Order. You do not have to join us if you do not desire to do so or believe that perhaps you are not quite ready for it, nor do you have to decide this very minute.'

He smiled at them all.

'I do not wish to pressurise you into making a decision. The choice is your own.'

There was silence in which the Gryffindors looked to each other in turn, a silent understanding passing between them.

Harry stood up and looked Dumbledore straight in the eye.

'Sir, if I may, I'd like to join the fight. I want to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix.'

Dumbledore smiled. 

'I expected nothing less from you, Mr Potter,' he said softly.

Ron scrambled to his feet. 'Me too,' he said firmly, 'I want to join the Order.'

Hermione also voiced her answer in the affirmative, as did the entire group, all declaring their answer firmly in a torrent of eager voices.

'Very well,' said Dumbledore, his eyes sparkling. 'If that is your decision,'

_'Yes!'_ they all cried.

'Very well, then. But perhaps you would like to be dressed in something a little more appropriate.' 

With that, he waved his wand over the Death Eater robes that the group still wore. In a swirl of light, the black faded away, the robes transforming into stunning garments of red and gold with a small emblem of a phoenix rising from a burning fire on the chest. 

'There we are,' said Dumbledore, sounding most satisfied. 'Much more fitting for our new members, wouldn't you agree, Sirius?'

'Definitely,' he said, grinning at Harry who turned sharply to face him. 

'What? You - _you're_ a member of the Order?' he asked incredulously. 'Why didn't you say?'

Sirius raised his hands in mock surrender. 'Sorry, I was sworn to secrecy. Besides, I didn't want to influence your decision when the time came.'

Harry sat down on the bed beside him. 'You knew about this? That I'd be asked?'

'Had to happen sooner or later. But then I knew you wouldn't give any other answer.' He said, fondly brushing Harry's fringe out of his eyes. 'Well, pretty eventful day it's been, hasn't it?'

Harry gave a tired smile. 'Yeah, think I'll have to sleep for a week to get over it,'

'Oh, you don't want to do that,' said Ron, coming over. He was grinning with Hermione bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet beside him. They both looked over at Remus who lifted his head, wagging his tail excitedly.

Harry and Sirius both looked blankly at them.

'Why? What's going on?' Harry asked, cautiously.

Ron reached deep into his pocket and drew out a small box covered in a blue silk cloth. He placed it on the bed and stepped back.

'Little present for you both,' he said.

'Go on! Open it!' said Hermione impatiently when neither of them reached for it. Remus gave a low bark of encouragement, watching eagerly.

Sirius nudged Harry gently so he reached for it. Taking a corner of the cloth he pulled it off with a quick tug.

There was a sharp intake of breath behind him. Harry's green eyes widened in shock.

It was a small cage. A cage containing one unconscious, scrawny grey rat with a silver paw.

'Since the Ministry are already on their way I guess we can get this traitorous little pile of filth of your hands pretty soon,' said Hermione happily.

Harry and Sirius both stared at the rat, then at each other. Screaming with delight Harry leapt into Sirius arms, both of them laughing and crying with joy.

'Ah, I see you've broken the news to them,' said Dumbledore, coming up behind Ron and Hermione. 'Now, Sirius, it may take a few days to get this through the courts and made official but I think the evidence speaks for itself really.'

Sirius nodded, deliriously happy.

Harry, surrounded by friends and family, was beyond happy. Feeling elated Harry felt that the future had never looked better. And whatever it had to bring, he was ready for it.

**~Finis~**

**_Please review_**

**_Any final comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated_**

****

**Authors Notes**

**Lil Lupin – ***Picks up Lil Lupin's eyes and hands them back*  Yes, I have five fics planned, which does include the SF, that Ginny songfic I meant to write ages ago and the Peter fic.  I just keep getting lots of ideas.  ^_^  I can't write them down fast enough sometimes.  But SF is taking priority of course; there are still another six chapters to be done.  ****

**Werepup – **Ah ha!  A Lord of the Rings fan, I take it?  Thank you so much for reading.****

**Christy – **Me?  Cruel?  Never.  *sniggers*  I couldn't resist!  ^_^  And you're right; it is fun!****

**Evol norgara – **I love snakes, they're very cool.  I couldn't bring myself to kill him – I'm weak-willed, and I doubt I'd be on anyone's fav list if I so heartlessly killed off a favourite character.  ^_^  *holds Sirius close*  Hee hee, all mine!  My preciousss …*looks about nervously as St Mungo's mental ward doctors come to take Voltora home*****

**Evil spapple pie – ***squints*  Hhhm, can't see a pitchfork, can I?  *looks suspicious*  All right, I'll let you off.  ^_^  Glad you liked the fic.  Hope to see you around.****

**Melissa Lupin – **^_^  Thank you!****

**Von – **Sorry, no 'tearing' of the Dementors here I'm afraid.  But you know, that's not a bad idea.  I wonder what _does_ happen to the souls they suck – are they lost forever or is there a chance that they could be retrieved?  Hhm, I'll have to think about that.  ^_^  Hope you liked the ending.****

**Elbereth94 –** _Really??_  Five times??  I'm honoured that you'd think about it twice, or even keep count!  ^_^  I can't _not _include a cliffhanger – they're great fun.  Hope you liked the ending.

**X13 -  **Hi there!  Thanks for your comments! ^_^****

**Thank you all for reading.  Hope you all enjoyed it!**

On a final note, I have already written and posted a sequel. It's a short fic, which takes place over the summer following the events of Tell No Lies;

**_Take It Back_**

**_A Death Eater is sent back into the past, back to the MWPP era.  His mission; Assassination.  The target; No one knows. Can Harry stop him from altering the past … or succumb to the deadly temptation to do the same?_**

I also happen to have a third fic in this series planned, although I have yet to start work on it.  

In the meantime I'm working on a twenty-chapter long Sirius fic (as anyone who's been reading all the author's notes will guess ^_^ )  I haven't quite finished writing it yet, I'm aiming for an end of May, early June posting.  It will be at least a PG-13 due to content; touching on the subject of child abuse (not sexual) based on Sirius' home life at the age of sixteen.  Includes the rest of the Marauders, Lily, and several new characters.   It has yet to be given a title but if anyone would like an e-mail alert for when it starts going up please let me know, and I'll be happy to oblige.  ^_^

_~Voltora~****_


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